 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Poster for the 1940 Games, when they were scheduled to be held in Sapporo | |
| Location | Sapporo, JapanGarmisch-Partenkirchen,Bavaria, Germany |
|---|---|
Winter Summer | |
The1940 Winter Olympics, officially known as theV Olympic Winter Games (第五回オリンピック冬季競技大会,Dai Go-kai Orinpikku Tōkikyōgi Taikai) and asSapporo 1940 (札幌1940), was a planned internationalmulti-sport event scheduled to have been held from 3 to 12 February 1940 inSapporo,Empire of Japan. They were ultimately cancelled because ofWorld War II alongside the1940 Summer Olympics inTokyo City, Empire of Japan (laterHelsinki,Finland), and were the second games to be canceled due to war.
Sapporo subsequently hosted the1972 Winter Olympics, becoming the first city in Asia to host the Winter Olympics.
in March 1936, Sapporo was selected to be the host of the fifth edition of theWinter Olympics, scheduled 3–12 February 1940, butJapan gave the Games back to theIOC in July 1938, after the outbreak of theSecond Sino-Japanese War in 1937.[1]The IOC then decided to give the Winter Olympics toSt. Moritz,Switzerland, which had hosted it in1928. However, the Swiss organizers believed that ski instructors should not be considered professionals.[1] The IOC was not of that mind, and the Games were withdrawn again.[1]
In June 1939, the IOC gave the 1940 Winter Olympics, now scheduled for 2–11 February, toGarmisch-Partenkirchen,Germany, where theprevious Games had been held.[2] On 1 September, Germany invadedPoland, initiating theEuropean theatre of World War II, and the Winter Games were cancelled in November. Likewise, the1944 Games, awarded in 1939 toCortina d'Ampezzo,Italy, were cancelled in 1941.[citation needed] St. Moritz later held the first post-war games in1948, while Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted in1956.
Germany has not hosted the Winter Olympics since 1936: on 16 October 1986Berchtesgadenlost toAlbertville,France, to host the1992 Winter Games. On 6 July 2011Munichlost toPyeongchang,South Korea, to host the2018 Winter Games.
| Winter Olympics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | V Olympic Winter Games Sapporo/Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1940 (abandoned) | Succeeded by |
