India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

sent a delegation to compete at the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games (german: IX. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 ( bar, Innschbruck 1964, label=Austro-Bavarian), was a winter multi-sport event which was celebr ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

from 29 January to 9 February 1964. This was India's debut at the

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...

. The sole athlete representing India was Jeremy Bujakowski, who competed in the men's downhill event in

alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether for ...

. He failed to finish the race, and went unranked in the competition.

Background

The

Indian Olympic Association The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or Indian Olympic Committee (IOC) is the body responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games, Asian Games and other international athletic meets and for managing the Indian teams ...

was recognised by the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

on 31 December 1926. However, by this time, they had already competed in three

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

, in

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

, and

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

. India has participated in every Summer Olympics since 1920. The 1964 Innsbruck Olympics marked India's debut at the Winter Olympic Games. These Olympics were held from 29 January to 9 February 1964; a total of 1,091 athletes representing 36

National Olympic Committees A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...

took part. Jeremy Bujakowski was the only athlete representing India in Innsbruck.

Alpine skiing

Jeremy Bujakowski was 24 years old at the time of the Innsbruck Olympics, and was making his Olympic debut. The Polish-born Bujakowski acquired Indian citizenship when his family moved there in the late 1940s, and later trained in the United States where he was educated at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private university, private research university in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1864, it is the oldest independent private university in the Mountain States, Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. It is ...

. On 30 January, he participated in the men's downhill, but failed to finish his run; the gold medal was won by

Egon Zimmermann Egon Zimmermann (8 February 1939 – 23 August 2019), often referred to as Egon Zimmermann II, was a World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Austria. Zimmermann won the Olympic downhill at Patscherkofel in 1964 and won se ...

, the silver by

Léo Lacroix Léo Lacroix (born 26 November 1937) was a French alpine skier who competed in the 1960s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won a silver medal in the men's downhill event at Innsbruck in 1964. Lacroix took the Olympic Oath at the 1968 W ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, and the bronze was taken by

Wolfgang Bartels Wolfgang Bartels (14 July 1940 – 6 February 2007) was a German alpine skier who competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1964 Winter Olympics. He was born in Bischofswiesen and died in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden Ramsau is a German munic ...

of the German Unified Team. Bujakowski would go on to represent

India at the 1968 Winter Olympics India competed at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Jeremy Bujakowski represented India in Alpine skiing, competing in the men's downhill, Men's slalom, and Men's giant slalom events. Alpine skiing ;Men ;Men's slalom Ref ...

References

{{Nations at the 1964 Winter Olympics Nations at the 1964 Winter Olympics

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

1964 in Indian sport

Background

Alpine skiing

See also

References