Ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, we look back at what the games used to be like

Months before the Olympic Games, the world is immersed in a special atmosphere. It is as if the air begins to stir with a unique sense of enthusiasm, unity, excitement, and the desire to push boundaries. Just before the Olympic flame is lit, the anticipation reaches its peak, and the world’s attention turns to the athletes, of whom only the best will make their mark in history. This time is no different as the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach on the calendar, taking place from February 6 to 22 across Lombardy and northeastern Italy.

Related: Winter Olympic Games 2026: Everything you need to know

Although our eyes are set on the future, it does no harm to occasionally look back and see what our predecessors have left us. Over the past hundred years, the world, and with it the Olympic Games, has changed beyond recognition, and it is not surprising if, when looking at photographs taken between 1948 and 1988, you feel that the world once seemed simpler and happier. Since then, the logistics of following competitions, technological capabilities, and the materials of uniforms have advanced beyond imagination, yet in the photographs from those four decades lies something endlessly romantic. Is it mere nostalgia for a past we cannot return to, something humanity is prone to, or is there something irresistibly charming in the atmosphere, the uniforms, and the celebration of remarkable achievements? Perhaps people saw the world differently then, without focusing obsessively on performance and results. We do not know, but it is certainly nice to recall famous moments such as the 1984 Winter Olympics, when all of Sarajevo lived for the event months before the Olympic flame reached Koševo Stadium. It was a time of a special unity and hope for a better tomorrow, something from which we can certainly draw inspiration.

If you are ready to indulge in a special dose of nostalgia, read our articles dedicated to the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.

Below, see how the uniforms, atmosphere, and moments of great achievement looked at the Winter Olympics from 1948 in St. Moritz to 1988 in Calgary.