Winter Olympics Through the Years: 1928

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

St. Moritz

Sonja Henie of Norway was only 11 years old in 1924 when she participated in her first Olympics and finished last in women's figure skating. Three years later, she won the world championship at age 14 and the year after that was Olympic champion at 15.

Henie would go on to win two more gold medals, a record that her coach, men's champion Gillis Grafstrom of Sweden, set in 1928 with his third straight victory in the Winter Games.

Otherwise, St. Moritz was plagued with warm weather that slowed bobsled and cross-country runs and cancelled the 10,000–meter speed skating race. Speed skater Bernt Evensen of Norway led the Games with three medals, sharing the 500–meter title with Finland's Clas Thunberg. Norway also got two gold medals from Johan Gröttumsbråten in cross-country and the Nordic Combined and led the 25 nations competing with six gold and 15 overall medals. The U.S. edged Sweden for second place.

Top 5 Standings

National medal standings are not recognized by the IOC. The unofficial point totals are based on 3 points for a gold medal, 2 for a silver and 1 for a bronze. Total medals are in parentheses.

  GoldSilverBronzePoints
1Norway (15)64531
2USA (6)22212
3Sweden (5)22111
4Finland (4)2119
5Austria (4)0317

Leading Medal Winners

Number of individual medals won on the left; gold, silver and bronze breakdown to the right.

No SportG-S-B
3Bernt Evensen, NORSp. Skate1-1-1
2Johan Gröttumsbråten, NORX-country2-0-0
2Clas Thunberg, FINSp. Skate2-0-0
2Jennison Heaton, USABobsled & Cresta1-1-0
2Ivar Ballangrud, NORSp. Skate1-0-1
Note: Evensen also placed second in the 10,000–meter speed skating race that was later disallowed due to thawing ice conditions.

Bobsled

Event  Time
5-ManUSA (Billy Fiske, Nion Tucker, Geoff Mason,
Clifford Gray, Richard Parke)
3:20.5

Cresta (Toboggan)

Event  Time
1-ManJennison Heaton, USA3:01.8

Figure Skating

Event  Points
MenGillis Grafström, SWE1630.75
WomenSonja Henie, NOR2452.25
PairsAndrée Joly & Pierre Brunet, FRA100.50

Ice Hockey

Championship Round

(Overall record in parentheses)

  GmW-L-TPtsGFGA
1Canada (3-0-0)33-0-06380
2Sweden (3-1-1)32-1-04712
3Switzerland (2-2-1)3 1-2-02417
4Britain (2-4-0)30-3-00121
Note: Canada received a bye to the 4–team championship round robin. The 10 other competing countries—not including the USA which did not send a team—were divided into three pools with the winners advancing to the final round. The Canadians routed Sweden, 11–0; Britain 14–0 and the Swiss, 13–0.

Nordic Skiing

Cross Country

Event  Time  
18kmJohan Gröttumsbråten, NOR1:37:01 
50kmPer Erik Hedlund, SWE4:52:03 

Ski Jumping

Event  Points 
90mAlf Andersen, NOR19.208 

Nordic Combined

Event Points
18km/JumpJohan Gröttumsbråten, NOR17.833

Speed Skating

Event  Time  
500mBernt Evensen, NOR   
 & Clas Thunberg, FIN43.4OR
1500mClas Thunberg, FIN2:21.1 
5000mIvar Ballangrud, NOR8:50.5 
10,000mNo decision (thawing of ice)  
Note: Irving Jaffee of USA had the fastest time in the 10,000 meters (18:36.5) before the race was cancelled.
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