Czechoslovakia at the 1924 Winter Olympics Czechoslovakia at the 1924 Winter Olympics Czechoslovakia was one of the 16 nations to compete at the inaugural 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France. The team finished without winning a medal. Figure skater Josef Slíva’s fourth place was the team’s best finish. Ice hockey reserve goalkeeper Jaroslav Řezáč was the first Czechoslovakia’s flagbearer in the Winter Games history. Men’s 18 km (Classic) Men’s 50 km Free (Classic) The cross country skiing marathon route led through mountain streams and difficult steep climbs. Only 21 competitors of 33 starting completed the race, including all three Czechoslovak skiers. The only Czech skaters in
Winter Olympic Games war, the 1944 Games, originally scheduled for Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy, were cancelled. St. Moritz was selected to host the first post-war Games in 1948. Switzerland's neutrality had protected the town during World War II, and most of the venues were in place from the 1928 Games, which made St. Moritz a logical choice. It became the first city to host a Winter Olympics twice. Twenty-eight countries competed in Switzerland, but athletes from Germany and Japan were not invited. Controversy erupted when two hockey teams from the United States arrived, both claiming to be the legitimate U.S. Olympic hockey representative. The