Editing 1960 Winter Olympics (section)

== Events ==
The Games were held from February 18 to 28.<ref name=squawioc/>  Medals were awarded in 27 ''events'' contested in 4 sports (8 disciplines).<ref name=sroverview/>  The sport of [[Biathlon at the 1960 Winter Olympics|biathlon]] was added to the program as were speed skating events for women. After a poll was taken indicating that only nine countries would send a bobsled team, the organizers determined that bobsled would be removed from the Olympic program. Despite petitions from the [[International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation]] to reconsider, the organizers felt they could not justify the costs of constructing a bobsled run for nine competing nations. It would be the only time in Winter Olympic history that the bobsled events were not held.<ref name=sroverview/><ref name=bobsled/>
*{{GamesSport|Biathlon|Events=1}}
*{{GamesSport|Ice hockey|Events=1}}
*[[Ice Skating|Skating]]
**{{GamesSport|Figure skating|Events=3}}
**{{GamesSport|Speed skating|Events=8}}
*[[Skiing]]
**{{GamesSport|Alpine skiing|Events=6}}
**{{GamesSport|Nordic skiing}}
***{{GamesSport|Cross-country skiing|Events=6}}
***{{GamesSport|Nordic combined|Events=1}}
***{{GamesSport|Ski jumping|Events=1}}

=== Opening ceremonies ===
The chairman of the Pageantry Committee was [[Walt Disney]], who was responsible for producing both the [[Olympic Games ceremony|opening and closing ceremonies]] at Blyth Memorial Arena.<ref name=sroverview/> He organized an opening that included 5,000 entertainers, the release of 2,000 pigeons, and a military gun salute of eight shots, one for each of the previous Winter Olympic Games.{{sfn|Squaw Valley Organizing Committee|1960|pp=53–55}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Walt Disney:A Biography|last1=Krasniewicz|first1=Louise|last2=Blitz|first2=Michael|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|location=Santa Barbara, USA|year=2010|page=132|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZ3vTgpHgFoC&q=1960%20winter%20olympics%20disney&pg=PA132|isbn=978-0-313-35830-2| access-date=August 17, 2011 <!--DASHBot-->}}</ref> The opening ceremonies were held on February 18, 1960, at Blyth Arena in the midst of a blizzard. The heavy snow fall caused traffic problems that delayed the ceremony by an hour. The festivities began with a sustained drum roll as the flags of each participating nation were raised on specially designed flag poles. Vice President [[Richard Nixon]] represented the United States government and declared the Games open.{{sfn|Squaw Valley Organizing Committee|1960|p=53}} The Olympic cauldron was lit by [[Ken Henry (speed skater)|Kenneth Henry]], Olympic champion of the 500 meter speed skating race at the [[1952 Winter Olympics]] in Oslo. The Olympic oath was taken by [[Carol Heiss]] on behalf of all the athletes. As the national delegations left the stadium fireworks concluded the ceremonies.{{sfn|Squaw Valley Organizing Committee|1960|p=55}}

===Closing ceremonies===
The Games were brought to a close on afternoon of February 28 in Blyth Memorial Arena in front of 20,000 people. Flags of the participating nations were followed by the athletes who marched as a group with no national distinctions, a tradition carried over from the [[1956 Summer Olympics]]. The flag bearers made a semi-circle around the rostrum and the national anthems of Greece (even though the nation did not send a delegation to Squaw Valley), the United States, and Austria were played as their respective flags were raised. The [[Olympic Charter]] determinates that the [[Flag of Greece|Greek flag]] honors Greece as the originators of the Olympic Games, and it was displayed during the ceremony even despite Greece's absence, which was the only time in Olympic history that the country failed to send a team. The United States flag represented the host nation and the Austrian flag was raised because [[Innsbruck]], Austria was to be the host of the next games. IOC president Avery Brundage declared the Games closed, at which point the Olympic flame was extinguished. The Games concluded with the release of several thousand balloons.{{sfn|Squaw Valley Organizing Committee|1960|pp=59–60}}