1) Miracle on ice, Lake Placid 1980
The geopolitical rivalry in the Cold War between the USA and the Soviet Union was to manifest itself through a momentous battle on the ice rink at Lake Placid as an unfavored United States team of college players went up against the defending title holders Soviet Union, who went into the Games with the luxury of having a squad of purely professional players.
Less than two weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics, the Americans had been embarrassed 10-3 by the powerful Soviet Union in an exhibition game, and the Soviets arrived in Lake Placid having won four consecutive gold medals. The two teams clashed in the first game of the medal round.
While the first period finished 2–2, and the Soviets led 3–2 following the second, the US team scored two more goals to take their first lead during the third and final period, winning the game 4–3.
Subsequently, the US went on to clinch the gold medal by beating Finland in their last game.
2) Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, Lillehammer 1994
In 1994, US figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked, her knee bruised by a man hired by the ex-husband of rival Tonya Harding, in a plot to force her withdrawal from the Winter Olympics. Shawn Eckardt (Harding's bodyguard) struck Kerrigan with a baton above the knee, aiming to prevent her from competing in the 1994 Nationals and the Olympics, clearing the path for Harding.
Kerrigan was unable to compete in the US Championship but recovered in time to compete in the Winter Olympics. She went on to win the Olympic silver medal, while Harding finished eighth.
Harding, after the Games, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to hinder prosecution, receiving probation, a $100,000 fine, and a lifetime ban from the United States Figure Skating Association. The scandal was covered extensively by the international media, which resulted in numerous documentaries, books, and the 2017 film I, Tonya.
3) Eddie the Eagle, Calgary 1988
Athletes usually spend a substantial part of their careers preparing for an event as prestigious as the Olympics, but one of Britain's most famous Winter Olympians became an exception to that rule, as he had just 22 months to prepare for one of sport's most hyped events.
Indeed, less than two years before stepping out at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, ski jumper Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards took part in his first competitions in the sport.
Edwards did not enjoy the respect of his colleagues, who had years of experience, and he was repeatedly told by coaches that his project to qualify for the Winter Olympics was doomed to fail, as he would not be able to jump very far. In addition, he struggled to see during jumps as he wore thick glasses beneath his goggles, which often steamed up right before a jump.
Still, Edwards went on to become Britain's first ski jumper to compete at a Winter Olympics, and after finishing last in both the 70m and 90m events, he went on to become a cult hero and household name, while his life story even turned into a Hollywood film in 2016.
4) Hermann Maier - Nagano 1998
Legendary Austrian skier Hermann Maier caught headlines on 13 February 1998 in the downhill at the Games in Nagano, when he crashed spectacularly, as the dramatic photos of the incident made the news all over the world.
16 seconds into the race, the Austrian World Cup champion reached the turn that would catch many of the other racers by surprise while he was travelling at high speed (more than 105 km/h)
As his line was far too straight, he immediately lost his balance and flew through the air for several metres before crashing violently into the snow behind the safety nets. There was immediate concern for his health, but it did not last many seconds before the giant Austrian stood up, covered in snow, and gave a hand signal to say, “I’m fine.”
Maier's spectacular crash did not spell the end of his participation at the Games. Just a few days later, he won two gold medals in the super-G and giant slalom.
5) Steven Bradbury - Salt Lake City 2002
Steven Bradbury created history in Salt Lake City when he became the first Australian to win a Winter Olympic gold medal in the 1000 metre short-course speed skating in the Winter Olympics.
The Republic of Korea’s Ahn Hyun-Soo, American challenger Apolo Anton Ohno, 1998 silver medallist Li Jiajun (China), and the outstanding Mathieu Turcotte (Canada) were all expected to battle for a place on the podium, while Bradbury merely completed the lineup.
But nobody could have predicted the outcome when one of speed skating’s most sensational turns of events happened in the final bend of the race.
Li Jiajun attempted to overtake Ohno, which led to both athletes crashing on the ice and taking down Ahn Hyun-Soo and Turcotte with them in the fall. Much to the surprise of the crowd, Bradbury, the only man still skating, proceeded to cross the finish line and claim an unlikely gold medal.
Bradbury decided to retire from speed skating following his unlikely triumph in Salt Lake City.
6) Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean - Sarajevo 1984
On Valentine’s Day in 1984, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made history at the Winter Olympics and took part in setting a new standard for world-class figure skating.
Today, Torvill and Dean’s 1984 Sarajevo "Boléro" is regarded as one of the greatest Olympic moments in the history of the Games for its historic 12 perfect 6.0 scores and innovative choreography.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean revolutionised ice dancing with their 4-minute 28-second routine to Ravel's music, and the performance - characterised by intense emotion and technical prowess - broke the Russian dominance in the sport.
While they returned to win bronze in 1994, their 1984 routine remains unmatched, often described as a "1966 moment" for British sport.
7) Sidney Crosby - Vancouver 2010
Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal at Vancouver 2010 turned into a symbol of national pride as host nation Canada claimed the gold against their fiercest rivals, the United States.
At the end of regulation time, the two teams were tied at 2-2. Seven minutes into overtime, Sidney Crosby got the winner after exchanging passes with Jarome Iginla to slot the puck between the legs of American goaltender Ryan Miller for a golden goal to spark joyous celebrations across the country.
The gold medal game was the most-watched hockey game since the US won gold at the 1980 Olympics. The last 15 years have not produced equivalent Olympic tension.
Sidney Crosby went on to captain his country to a second successive Olympic title in Sochi four years later.
8) Jamaica bobsleigh team, Calgary 1988
Jamaica qualified for the Winter Olympic Games for the first time at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.
The true story inspired the 1993 movie ‘Cool Runnings’ with the late actor John Candy in the leading role. Since then, Jamaica has been able to qualify six times for the Olympic Games in bobsleigh, and the legacy of the 1988 team remains a big part of the Jamaican sports identity.
Thanks to their “underdog” status, the Jamaicans quickly rose to stardom as an unlikely competitor in a cold-weather sport with athletes from a nation with a tropical environment.
The debut team, which starred Devon Harris, Dudley Stokes, Michael White, Freddy Powell, and last-minute replacement Chris Stokes, was forced to appeal to other nations for help as they lacked basic equipment to compete, and their knowledge of the sport was also limited when they set off to qualify for the Games.
They did make it all the way to Calgary, but in the third of four qualifying runs, they lost control of the sled, crashed, and never officially finished.