1940 Winter Olympics

The 5th Olympic Winter Games, scheduled for 3-14 February 1940, were originally awarded to Sapporo, Japan at the 37th IOC Session in Warszawa on 9 June 1937. The choice of Sapporo was in keeping with early IOC policy of awarding the Summer and Winter Games to the same nation, as Tokyo had been chosen to host the 1940 Olympic Games. This choice was controversial, to say the least, as only a few years before (1931), Japan had invaded that region of Northern China that the Japanese referred to as Manchuria, and they still controlled it in 1937. As Japan continued its war with China, the Japanese government informed the Japanese Organizing Committees for Sapporo and Tokyo that they would not provide financial support, and on 16 July 1938, Sapporo withdrew as host.

The 1940 Winter Games were awarded to St. Moritz at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Bruxelles on 3 September 1938, but this bid was troubled because of problems with the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) and professionalism among skiiers. Per the FIS, ski instructors were not considered professionals, but the IOC felt that violated their strict amateur code and did not want them to compete in the Olympics. The St. Moritz Organizing Committee announced its program in October 1938, with competition in figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, bobsleigh, and military ski patrol, but with slalom skiing and ski jumping included only as demonstration sports. The ski events were listed only as demonstration events because of the amateurism problem, but even this was too much for the IOC.

Because of the controversy, for the only time in IOC history, they removed St. Moritz as the host city on 9 June 1939 at the 39th IOC Session in London. The 1940 Olympic Winter Games were then awarded to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, as they had the facilities to organize the Games on very short notice, since they had hosted the 1936 Olympic Winter Games. Other options considered were Lake Placid, New York, USA and Montréal, Québec, Canada. The decision for Garmisch-Partenkirchen was made despite the fact that Germany had already invaded Austria (the Anschluß) in March 1938, and had taken over the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in October 1938, both precursors to World War II.

On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, and World War II had effectively begun. In November 1939, the German Reichssportführer informed the IOC that they could not host the 1940 Olympic Winter Games, and eventually, the Games were not held because of World War II.

The IOC unanimously voted for Sapporo (Japan) as host city at the 37th IOC Session in Warszawa on 9 June 1937. It was accepted by acclamation after Tokyo had been chosen as host of the 1940 Olympic Games, although Oslo (Norway) and St. Moritz (Switzerland) had also made bids.

Sapporo withdrew as hosts of the 1940 Olympic Winter Games on 16 July 1938. They were then awarded to St. Moritz on 3 September 1938 at a meeting of the IOC Executive Board in Bruxelles, Belgium. St. Moritz was removed by the IOC on 9 June 1939 at the 39th IOC Session in London and the 1940 Olympic Winter Games were then awarded to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany), which eventually also withdrew in November 1939, following the outbreak of World War II.