The 1998 Olympic Winter Games, officially known as the 18th Olympic Winter Games, are held in Nagano in Japan from 7 to 22 February 1998. The city was already a candidate to host the 1940 Olympic Winter Games (finally Canceled) as well as those of 1972, but it has been eliminated at the level of Japanese selections. Nagano gets the organization of the games at its third candidacy by winning the cities of Aosta, Italy, Jaca, Spain, Östersund in Sweden and Salt Lake City in the United States. This is the third time a Japanese city organizes the Olympic Games (summer and winter confused) after Tokyo in 1964 and Sapporo in 1972. All competition sites are located in Nagano Prefecture. They are funded by municipalities, prefecture and Japanese state. The Organizing Committee, whose revenue is largely derived from broadcasting and sponsors, takes care of all other organizational costs. Games gather 2,176 athletes from 72 countries, which is a record at the time for winter games. They particip