Venezuela at the 1998 Winter Olympics but never won a medal at the Winter Olympics. These Winter Olympics were held from 7–22 February 1998; a total of 2,176 athletes represented 72 National Olympic Committees. The only athlete Venezuela sent to Nagano was a luger, Iginia Boccalandro. She was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Iginia Boccalandro was 36 years old at the time of the Nagano Olympics, and was making her Olympic debut. Before the Games, the Salt Lake City, Utah resident claimed that "I'm too old and fat"; she said her real goal was the 2002 Winter Olympics, by which time she would have
Venues of the 1992 Winter Olympics had its first alpine skiing World Cup events run in December 1968. The Olympic test held there in December 1990 was won by 1980 Winter Olympics men's downhill gold medalist Leonhard Stock of Austria. Tignes hosted of the first FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in February 1986. Construction on most of the venues took place between 1987 and mid 1990 in time for the late 1990 and early 1991 test events. This was the last Winter Olympics in which speed skating was held outdoors. As a result, weather played a factor in three of the ten events run. In the