Apparently Duluth once made a bid to host the Winter Olympics.

Duluth was one of nine cities to make a bid for the 1932 Olympics. Seven out of the nine were from the United States. This was the third ever Winter Olympics. Here were the cities that all made a bid:

  • Bear Mountain, Utah
  • Denver, Colorado
  • Duluth, Minnesota
  • Lake Placid, New York
  • Lake Tahoe, California
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Montreal, Canada
  • Oslo, Norway
  • Yosemite Valley, California

The selection was made in 1929 in Switzerland as Lake Placid was eventually chosen. Could you imagine the Olympics taking place in Duluth? That would have been amazing and a sweet piece of history. Still cool that two cities in Minnesota made a bid for the Olympics.

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Honestly, why not Duluth? The events for the third Winter Olympics were ski Jumping, cross-country skiing, bobsleigh, ice hockey, figure skating, and speed skating. All these events could have easily been done in our snowy haven we call home.

There were also three demonstration events held: curling, sled dog racing, and women's speed skating. Again, all could easily be done right here in the Zenith City. The United Stated did win the most overall medals with twelve (6 Gold, 4 Silver, and 2 Bronze).

Unfortunately that was the only time any city in Minnesota made a bid for the Winter Olympics. Overall, cities in the US had made bids twelve different times and won the bid just five times for the Winter games.

PBS is even premiering a mini series about quirky history today (4/26/22) and the first episode will be one the Olympic bid. The show is called 'Minnesota Historia' and the first episode is titled 'Duluth's Doomed Olympics Bid'. You can check out the episode here. Here's the synopsis of the episode:

The idea of Minnesota hosting the Winter Olympics seems pretty far-fetched today. But back in 1932, Duluth had everything it needed: plenty of snow, sheets of ice and more than a couple of hills. This is the story of an Olympics that never happened in a city that never stopped dreaming.

 

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