Remembering The Olympic Athletes Who Dominated Cortina 70 Years Ago

Team USA, Cortina 1956

Cortina’s 1956 Olympic Winter Games showcased a remarkable group of U.S. Ski Team influencers of that era, athletes who not only competed and won Olympic medals before and after, but also significantly impacted the sport and beyond during a golden era of nationwide growth.

Team members included Buddy Werner, Brooks Dodge Jr., Andrea Mead-Lawrence, Penny Pitou, and Gladys “Skeeter” Werner, Buddy’s sister.

Werner, America’s first elite alpine ski racer...