Nagano 1998

About

Japan hosted the Winter Games for the second time at Nagano 1998, having previously held them in Sapporo in 1972. Ireland returned to the Winter Games after missing Lillehammer 1994, fielding six athletes across alpine skiing and bobsleigh.

Terry McHugh, who had competed at three Summer Games in the javelin, carried the Irish flag and drove one of Ireland's two-man bobs at his second Winter Games - making him one of Ireland's most versatile Olympians.

Patrick-Paul Schwarzacher-Joyce, born in London to an Austrian father and Irish mother, became Ireland's first ever Olympic skier, self-funding his campaign with no coaching or technical support and finishing 27th in the downhill. Ireland also fielded a four-man bob for the first time.