the 1976 winter olympics, officially known as the xii olympic winter games, were held in 1976 in innsbruck, austria. the games were originally awarded to denver, colorado, united states in may 1970, but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to voters' rejection of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games in 1972. as a result, the ioc offered the games to whistler, british columbia (canada), who had bid on the games, but they also declined due to a change of government there. (whistler would go on to be associated with neighbouring vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 winter olympics.) the ioc finally called on innsbruck, which had hosted the 1964 winter games just twelve years earlier, to also host the 1976 games. salt lake city, utah, which would eventually host in 2002, offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of denver. the ioc declined.