Olympic Upset: US Team’s Shocking Retreat

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Denver 1976 Winter Olympics logo caps and badges are prized among sports memorabilia collectors.

The reason is simple: this event never took place. It was canceled more than three years before the planned start, because the American organizers ran into financial problems and disputes with fellow citizens.

It was the only time in peacetime that the Olympic Games were not held where they were supposed to be held. First class embarrassment.

Not that the sports world does not know similar cases. For example, the 1986 football World Cup was originally supposed to take place in Colombia, and the hockey championship in 2003 was also moved from the Czech Republic to Finland, because a modern hall could not be built in Prague.

But Denver stood out in every respect. It was as if Pat and Mat had started organizing the Olympics.

In 1976, the US celebrated its 200th anniversary of independence and the state of Colorado a hundred years, so Denver’s Olympic bid seemed like a wonderful idea. All the more so because the region was becoming a paradise for skiers and the tourist business was thriving. American Switzerland – that’s what Colorado was called then.

By a twist of fate, Denver succeeded in choosing against the real Switzerland. In the exciting vote of the IOC members, he defeated Sion in the third round, other contenders Tampere (Finland) and Vancouver (Canada) had no chance.

That was also the brightest moment of the American candidacy. Then everything began to slowly fall apart, one comical mishap followed by another.

So, on paper, the project didn’t look bad. The sports world was less and less happy with the increasing costs of organizing the Olympic Games, especially the Winter Games, so after Grenoble (1968) and especially Sapporo (1972), Denver was to become the place where the traditional event would return to more modest times.

Economical Games. Under this slogan, the organizing committee promoted its Olympic Games. The total budget was supposed to be $14 million, of which only five million came from taxpayers’ pockets. “Is five million too much to spend on the excellence, pride, and international celebration of one hundred years of the state of Colorado and two hundred years of our nation?” Governor John Love asked pathetically.

The most money was to be saved by having all the sports venues close to Denver and using the already existing infrastructure.

But as time went by, it became apparent that the distance between wish and reality was increasing.

For example, the traditional Olympic village should not have been built at all, the athletes should have lived on the University of Denver campus. There were two catches: the organizing committee did not bother to introduce this idea to the school management and did not think of solving where the students would sleep in the middle of the semester.

Similarly, the information that Denver has accommodation capacity for 100 thousand guests was shot from the side. At the same time, hotels could offer less than a third.

“The organizing committee was under time pressure (when submitting the candidacy), so they had to lie a little,” the new governor, John Vanderhoof, later defended it.

The situation with the sports field was not better either. The original idea that neither the Olympians nor the fans would have anywhere more than a 40-minute drive soon took hold.

The biathlon and ski jumping were supposed to be held in nearby Evergreen, but it turned out there wasn’t much chance of snow there in February. About 1:25 according to the meteorologists. After all, the place is not called Evergreen by chance. Therefore, the snow had to be brought in from other parts of Colorado – not for free, of course. The residents did not like the drastic interventions in the landscape that the construction of ski jumps would require.

It was the same with downhill tracks. They were supposed to stand on Mount Sniktau, which is in the mountains, but in a place where there is not much snow. The organizers even had to resort to photomontage when producing a prospectus for the IOC.

Therefore, all that was left was to move the ski competitions to Vail and Steamboat Springs. In other words, areas distant from 150 or 250 kilometers from Denver. In both cases, it would be necessary to build temporary Olympic villages, meaning additional costs.

“So we’ll make an air bridge between Denver and the ski slopes,” suggested astronaut Walter Schirra, who was not only one of the first people in space, but also a member of the organizing committee.

He wanted to use the DHC-6 Otter high-wing aircraft, but they can only fit 20 people. Even this idea would be quite expensive.

The idea of ​​canceling the bobsled competition due to the high cost of building a toboggan, similar to what was done in the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, also came up against the IOC members. Lake Placid, approximately 3,000 kilometers from Denver, was chosen as the new venue for the discipline…

At that moment it was already clear that there was none Economical Games will not take place. Expense items were growing, and the promise of a $14 million sports fest was becoming more and more laughable. Just accommodation and jobs for the expected 3,500 journalists would cost 26 million.

The only salvation was to be a higher state contribution. Instead of the original $5 million, the organizers asked for eight times that amount.

This was not agreed with by increasingly strong citizen initiatives, which had already loudly protested against the planned interventions in the environment. Demonstrations were held, petition sheets were signed.

The organizing committee responded with a PR campaign, where it was supported by comedians Bill Cosby and Bob Hope or four-time Olympic champion Jesse Owens.

A referendum had to decide the future of the Olympics. It was held on November 7, 1972, together with the presidential election. Citizens were to express their opinion on whether they agree that the state participates in the financing of the Games – and therefore bears responsibility for any debts.

Although the organizers confidently proclaimed that the ratio of supporters to opponents was 2:1, the results of the referendum showed quite a different picture. 40 percent were in favor of state funding, the majority spoke against it.

At that moment, it was clear that the Denver Olympics were over. She didn’t stand a chance without the help of the erar.

It was the first time in history that citizens opposed the organization of the biggest sporting event. It fundamentally differed from the following (in the 21st century, e.g. Budapest, Boston, Hamburg, Calgary, Davos, Innsbruck) in that the NO came only after the organizers had tapped.

After the official renunciation of Denver, the Americans still tried to be able to hold the 1976 Olympics, only in another place. They offered Lake Placid or Salt Lake City as a substitute. However, the International Olympic Committee rejected it.

In 1973, an accelerated election of a new host city took place, for which it would not be a problem to handle all the preparations within three years. Four candidates officially applied (Innsbruck, Chamonix, Tampere, Lake Placid), but from the beginning everything was directed towards Austria. Innsbruck already held the Olympic Games in 1964, had everything necessary and was able to meet the basic requirement: “No experiments, we need calm and modest Games.”

Anyone who wanted to could see an interesting historical paradox in it. A significant part of Austrian ski resorts, including accommodation facilities, was built after the Second World War thanks to the Marshall Plan. That is, from the money of American taxpayers.

Denver has become not only a memento for the Olympic movement, but also a toxic brand in sports circles. A lot of people in America have never forgotten what a disgrace he made the country. Therefore, when he was interested in running for the 2030 Olympic Games, he had no chance. The local officials clearly preferred the proven Salt Lake City (eventually it will repeat the Olympics in 2034).

The main winner of the disputes over the 1976 Olympic Games could thus be considered lawyer Dick Lamm. He stood at the head of the protests at the time and used his popularity in subsequent elections to gain the position of governor, where he eventually spent three terms.