Pictures of Women of the Winter Olympics From Between the 1940s and 1970s

Ever since the first Winter Olympics in 1924, women athletes have competed for gold with the same intensity, grace and power as their male counterparts — even if, in ’24, the only events in which women were allowed to take part were figure- and pairs-skating.

In 2014 at Sochi, meanwhile, competitors from around the globe will put it all on the line in 98 events across 15 disciplines, from figure-skating to ice hockey to – finally — ski jumping for both men and women.
Here, in acknowledgement of the long, icy, often-uphill trail that sportswomen have had to navigate through the years, LIFE offers a series of Winter Olympics photos from the 1940s to the 1970s — pictures featuring the still-famous (Peggy Fleming, Lidiya Skoblikova, Andrea Mead Lawrence) as well as more than a few largely forgotten female athletes who made a mark in the Olympics, whether they medaled or not.

Fifteen-year-old Andrea Mead Lawrence, the first American alpine skier to win Olympic gold, training in 1947

Six-time U.S. national figure-skating champion Gretchen Merrill, St. Moritz Olympics, 1948

French figure skater Jacqueline du Bief, St. Moritz, 1948

British figure skater Jeanette Altwegg, bronze medalist at St. Moritz, 1948

Canadian Patricia Gault, St. Moritz, 1948

Olympic figure skater, St. Moritz, 1948

Gretchen Merrill, St. Moritz Olympics, 1948

American skier Brynhild Grasmoen, St. Moritz, 1948

Great Britain's Sue Holmes, Cortina, Italy, 1956

Unidentified skater, Cortina, Italy, 1956

Unidentified skater, Cortina, Italy, 1956

American figure-skating silver medalist Carol Heiss, Cortina, Italy, 1956

Russian cross-country skiers Radya Yeroshina (silver) and Lyubov Kozyreva (gold), Cortina, Italy, 1956

American silver medalist Penny Pitou (left) and German downhill gold medalist Heidi Biebl, Squaw Valley, 1960

Slalom silver medalist Betsy Snite (USA), Squaw Valley, 1960

American downhill skier Penny Pitou (silver medalist), Squaw Valley, 1960

American downhill skier Penny Pitou (silver medalist), Squaw Valley, 1960

Unidentified athlete, Squaw Valley, 1960

Figure skater Carol Heiss (gold medal, Ladies Singles), Squaw Valley, 1960

Figure skater Carol Heiss (gold medal, Ladies Singles), Squaw Valley, 1960

Russian speed-skating gold medalist Lidiya Skoblikova (center), with Poland's Elwira Seroczynska (left, silver) and Helena Pilejczyk (right, bronze), Squaw Valley, 1960

Unidentified athlete, Innsbruck Olympics, 1964

Unidentified athlete, Innsbruck Olympics, 1964

American skier Jean Saubert (center) gets kisses from French downhill gold and silver medalists (and sisters), Christine and Marielle Goitschel, Innsbruck Olympics, 1964

Unidentified athlete, Innsbruck Olympics, 1964

Left to right: Christine Goitschel, Jean Saubert, and Marielle Goitschel, Innsbruck, 1964

American speed skater and four-time Olympic medalist Dianne Holum, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

Unidentified athlete, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

Three-time Olympic medalist Lyudmila Titova, speed skater, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

American figure skater Peggy Fleming, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

Twelve-year-old Romanian figure skater Beatrice Hustiu, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

American figure skater Janet Lynn, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

American figure skater Peggy Fleming, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

Peggy Fleming, gold medalist, Ladies Singles figure skating, Grenoble Olympics, 1968

Anne Henning, 16, skating to victory in the 500-meter speed skating race at the Sapporo Winter Olympics, 1972

Figure skaters Janet Lynn (American, bronze), Beatrix Schuba (Austrian, gold) and Karin Manguessen (Canadian, silver), Sapporo Winter Olympics, 1972

American speed skater and four-time Olympic medalist Dianne Holum, Sapporo Winter Olympics, 1972

Women's luge, Sapporo Winter Olympics, 1972

(Photos: Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images)