Nagano Winter Games A record 2,177 athletes from 72 countries participate. Snowboarding, curling, and women's ice hockey are introduced. Austria's Hermann Maier wipes out on the men's downhill, flying through the air and two retaining fences, but wins two gold medals later in the Games. Masahiko "Happy" Harada redeems himself from his 1994 failures, helping Japan's ski-jumping team win the gold. Bjorn Daehlie wins three more gold medals in Nordic skiing, boosting his total to twelve medals (eight gold) overall. 15-year-old American figure skater Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Games. Ice hockey is open to professionals for the first time, and the Czech Republic wins. Germany, Norway, and Russia lead the overall rankings.
