The Soviet Union emerged from the shadows of the Cold War in
1952 to make its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Helsinki.
Finishing a close second to the United States in overall medal
count (74–71), the Russians served notice that they were an
athletic superpower to be reckoned with. In 1956, the USSR made
its first appearance in the Winter Games and not only outmedaled
the 32–nation field, but dethroned Canada as hockey champion.
Four of the USSR's seven gold medals came in speed skating,
where Yevgeny Grishin led the way with gold medals in the 500
and 1,500 meters. Despite a shortage of snow in northern Italy,
the outstanding performance of the VIIth Winter Games belonged
to a skier named Sailer. By winning the downhill, slalom and
giant slalom, Toni Sailer of Austria became the first skier to
sweep all three Alpine events and only the fifth winter athlete
to win three gold medals at one Olympics. Swedish cross-country
skier Sixten Jernberg, who would eventually participate in three
Winter Games and wi