As we continue to shine the spotlight on the wonderful world of winter sport, here are eight reasons to be keeping up with all things snow and ice this season.
From picturesque snow-capped mountain tops to poise and precision on the ice rink, winter sport boasts some of the finest sports photography on offer.
Whether you enjoy the beauty of the ice dance or hair-raising heights of freestyle ski and snowboarding, winter sport imagery will knock your socks off.
Winter sport shows off the fastest sliders in the world with skeleton and luge athletes reaching speeds of 80-90mph despite lying just inches off the ice. During her final run at Sochi 2014, Team GB’s Lizzy Yarnold peaked at 80.40mph as she clinched Olympic gold in Russia.
And it’s not just the ice-based competitors who show off their wheels. French skier Johan Clarey set a new speed record in the downhill last year when he hit 100.60mph at the Lauberhorn in Switzerland.
Nothing is more enjoyable in sport that Team GB success and no winter sport has given the nation more pleasure of late than skeleton.
Since the sport’s reintroduction to the Olympic Programme in 2002, Team GB has had a medal winner in the women’s event in each Games since. Alex Coomber won bronze in Salt Lake City, Shelley Rudman took silver four years later (Turin) before Amy Williams and Lizzy Yarnold both claimed gold at Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 respectively.
Sochi 2014 introduced a number of new events into the Olympic Programme, including the freestyle ski and snowboard competitions as well as the ski halfpipe. These, coupled with the snowboard halfpipe, meant winter sport fans were treated to a host 1080s, double-corks and octo-grabs. And we loved it!
Do you remember Norway’s trouser collection from the Sochi 2014 Olympics? Of course you do – they really were quite something.
The familiar bout of curling fever hit the nation again during the Sochi Games but there’s no reason for the love to dwindle this winter with both the European and World Championships on the horizon.
The sport is more popular than ever in the UK after the double medal success in Russia and we won’t turn down an excuse to dig out your curling selfies!
Sochi 2014 concluded with Team GB returning home with their joint best ever medal haul in winter Games history and the future looks bright for PyeongChang in four years’ time.
With young athletes coming through the ranks in all sports combining with the experience of the Sochi medallists and finalists, 2014 is a great time to backing the Brits on the snow and ice.
Fancy yourself as the next Jenny Jones, Chemmy Alcott or David Murdoch? Then check out our one-stop guide of how to get involved in winter sport in the UK.