1980 Winter Olympics medal table

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1980 Winter Olympics medals
LocationLake Placid,  United States
Highlights
Most gold medals Soviet Union (10)
Most total medals East Germany (23)
← 1976 · Olympics medal tables · 1984 →

The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held in Lake Placid, New York, United States, from February 13 to February 24. A total of 1,072 athletes from 37 nations participated in 38 events from 10 different sports.[1]

Athletes from 19 countries won at least one medal, and athletes from 11 secured at least one gold medal. After winning a then-record 13 gold medals in the 1976 Winter Olympics,[2] the Soviet Union led with 10 gold medals in 1980, and had the second most total medals with 22. East Germany led the overall medal count with 23. The host United States were third in both gold and overall medals, with 6 and 12, respectively. Having won her country's first Olympic medal in Innsbruck, four years before, alpine skier Hanni Wenzel won Liechtenstein's only two gold medals in the country's history, at Lake Placid.[3] Liechtenstein is the smallest nation to ever win a gold medal at the Olympics.[1] Bulgaria won its first Winter Olympic medal at these Games, a bronze medal in cross-country skiing.[4] The People's Republic of China made their first appearance at a Winter Olympics at these Games, but failed to win any medals.[5]

American Eric Heiden led all athletes with five medals, all gold, in speed skating. Heiden was the first athlete to win five gold medals in individual events in a single Olympics, Summer or Winter.[6] Five other athletes won three medals each at these Games.[7]

Medal table[edit]

A woman with brown hair, wearing eyeglasses and a tan suit, holding a bouquet of flowers.
Soviet pairs figure skater Irina Rodnina won her third consecutive gold medal in Lake Placid.[8]
A man with grey hair, wearing a red and brown coat, with snow in the background.
Soviet biathlete Alexander Tikhonov won his fifth and final Olympic medal in 1980.[9]
A man with brown hair, and wearing a darn brown jacket, smiles in front of a white background.
East German biathlete Frank Ullrich won three medals in Lake Placid.[10]

The medal table is based on information provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is consistent with IOC convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals won by a National Olympic Committee. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically. Medals won in team competitions—such as ice hockey—are counted only once, no matter how many athletes won medals as part of the team.[11]

In the normal hill event in ski jumping, two silver medals were awarded for a second place tie. No bronze medal was awarded for that event.[12] In the men's 1000 meters speed skating event, two bronze medals were awarded for a third place tie.[13][14]


  *   Host nation (United States)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Soviet Union106622
2 East Germany97723
3 United States*64212
4 Austria3227
5 Sweden3014
6 Liechtenstein2204
7 Finland1539
8 Norway13610
9 Netherlands1214
10 Switzerland1135
11 Great Britain1001
12 West Germany0235
13 Italy0202
14 Canada0112
15 Hungary0101
 Japan0101
17 Bulgaria0011
 Czechoslovakia0011
 France0011
Totals (19 entries)383938115


See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Lake Placid 1980". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  2. ^ Canada Press (February 27, 2010). "Canada sets Olympic gold record". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on March 3, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  3. ^ "Olympic History". Liechtensteinischer Olympischer Sportverband. Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  4. ^ "Bulgaria Marks 30 Years since 1st Winter Olympic Medal as Vancouver Games Start". Novinite. February 13, 2010. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  5. ^ "Game: Lake Placid 1980". Australian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  6. ^ Shapiro, Leonard (February 24, 1980). "Heiden Wins 5th Gold, Most for an Individual". The Washington Post. p. 1F. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  7. ^ "1980 Lake Placid Winter Games". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 26 June 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  8. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Irina Rodnina". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  9. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Aleksandr Tikhonov". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  10. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Frank Ullrich". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  11. ^ Shipley, Amy (August 25, 2008). "China's Show of Power". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2010.
  12. ^ "Ski Jumping at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games: Men's Normal Hill, Individual". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  13. ^ Associated Press (February 19, 1980). "Heiden Captures Third Gold Medal". Boston Globe. Affiliated Publications.
  14. ^ "Speed Skating at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games: Men's 1,000 metres". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on February 14, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.

External links[edit]