While the Winter Olympics are synonymous with snow-capped peaks, their origins are inextricably linked to London. As the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games take centre stage, the Olympic Studies Research Centre (OSRC) at the University of East London will be hosting a lecture exploring the surprising British roots of winter sports on the Olympic stage.
Scheduled for February 18 at 6:00 PM GMT, the webinar will feature eminent sport historians Martin Polley, Emeritus Professor at De Montfort University, who will discuss how the 1908 London Summer Games paved the way for winter disciplines, and Philip Barker, Editor-in-Chief of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) Journal, who will explore the milestones that led to the birth of the Winter Games.
Andy Galbraith, Research Lead at UEL’s Olympic Studies and Research Centre (OSRC), said:
“We are delighted to launch the Olympic Studies Research Centre’s lecture calendar with an exploration of the Winter Games’ evolution. Situated in Newham – the heart of the London 2012 Olympics – the centre is a hub for research, education and community engagement. Our mission is to celebrate our local Olympic heritage while ensuring the study of the Games remains accessible and inspiring on a global scale.”
Martin Polley, Sports Historian and Emeritus Professor at De Montfort University, said:
“The Winter Olympics have a much more complicated history than the official version suggests, and London plays a unique role in that history. I’m looking forward to sharing my research on the Winter Programme of the 1908 London Olympics through this UEL webinar, and to showcasing some of the amazing Olympic materials that the University has in its archive.”
Based at the University of East London in Newham, the Olympic Studies Research Centre (OSRC) integrates multidisciplinary research and outreach while housing the British Olympic Association (Team GB) Archive and preserving British Olympic history from 1906 to today.
Event details:
What: “From the suburbs of London to the slopes of St Moritz: the evolution of the Winter Olympics, 1908–28” webinar
Date: February 18, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
Platform: Microsoft Teams (Online)
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-the-suburbs-of-london-to-the-slopes-of-st-moritz-tickets-1982281885481?aff=oddtdtcreator
