<Tr> <Th> <Atlanta 1996 </Th> <Th> Sydney 2000> </Th> </Tr> <P> The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games (French: Les XVIII Jeux olympiques d'hiver) (第 十 八 回 オリンピック 冬季 競技 大会, Dai Jūhachi - kai Orinpikku Tōkikyōgi Taikai), was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan . </P> <P> 72 nations and 2,176 participants contested in 7 sports and 68 events at 15 venues . The Games saw the introduction of women's ice hockey, curling and snowboarding . National Hockey League players were allowed to participate in the men's ice hockey . </P> <P> The host was selected on June 15, 1991, over Salt Lake City, Östersund, Jaca and Aosta . They were the third Olympic Games and second winter Olympics to be held in Japan, after the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo . Nagano is so far the southernmost city to host a Winter Olympics, next to Squaw Valley, host of the 1960 Winter Olympics . The games were succeeded by the 1998 Winter Paralympics from 5 to 14 March . These were the final Winter Olympic Games under the IOC Presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch . </P>

What became a winter olympic sport in 1998