Beijing 2022 was the first time a city has hosted both a Winter and a Summer Olympics (which the city hosted in 2008). It was also the first time in Olympic history that the Olympic Games were held in consecutive years, because of the pandemic-related delay of the Tokyo 2020 Games to 2021. Beijing 2022 also marked both Haiti and Saudi Arabia's Winter Olympics debuts.

Mexico City 1968 was the first Olympics held in Latin America, the first in a Spanish-speaking country, and the Summer Games held at the highest elevation (at 2,240m/7,350ft). At these Games, American runners John Carlos and Tommie Smith (with support from fellow medalist, Australian Peter Norman) protested on the podium during their medal ceremony. Smith and Carlos held their black-gloved fists in the air to bring light to racial discrimination and violence against Black people.