Eddie the Eagle soars, Calgary 1988

Michael “Eddie the Eagle” Edwards, was the antithesis of the Olympic high-flyer. Heavily disadvantaged by his 82kg (181lb) weight – far heavier than his rivals – poor eyesight and the small matter of being entirely self-funded, he became Great Britain’s first Olympic ski jumper. He finished 67th and last at the 1987 world championships but managed to hit the qualifying standard to secure the sole British spot for Calgary. At the Games, he finished last in the normal hill (70m) and large hill (90m) events. In the normal hill, he scored 69.2 points from two jumps of 55m, while the winner Matti Nykänen scored 229.1 points from 89.5m jumps. Despite the last-place finishes, his enthusiasm captured global media attention but also lead to the “Eddie the Eagle Rule” which was introduced to tighten entry requirements and prevent similar “Olympic tourists”.

Ledecka’s double gold shock, Pyeongchang 2018

Ester Ledecka made headlines in her native Czech Republic not once, but twice, after becoming the first athlete to win gold in two different sports at the same Winter Games. Known primarily for snowboarding, she entered the Super-G Alpine skiing event and, starting with the late bib number 26, snatched the gold medal by 0.01sec over the defending champion Anna Veith. Before the upset, Ledecka’s highest World Cup finish in the Super-G had been 19th. A week later, Ledecka returned to her primary sport to comfortably win gold in the parallel giant slalom snowboarding.

Nigeria’s Winter pioneers, Pyeongchang 2018

History was made in Pyeongchang by the four women who formed Nigeria’s first Winter Olympics delegation. The two-woman bobsleigh squad of Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga finished 19th out of 20 sleds after four runs (the Russian team was disqualified for doping). Joining them to represent Nigeria at the Games was the skeleton racer Simidele Adeagbo, who finished 20th in her event over four runs. The three bobsledders, former track and field athletes, crowdfunded their journey and trained using a makeshift wooden sled built in Texas, United States. Their participation marked the first time any African country had been represented in the sport of bobsleigh at the Winter Games.

Keshavan’s lifelong journey, Nagano 1998 to Pyeongchang 2018

Debuting at Nagano 1998 at just 16 years old, India’s Shiva Keshavan became the youngest luger in the history of the Winter Olympics. Over two decades, he represented his country in luge at six consecutive Games. In 2002, the Italian luge team offered their resources in exchange for competing under their flag, which he refused. That same year he was forced to hitchhike to the Games in Salt Lake City from Montreal. While a medal remained predictably elusive – his best finish was 25th in Turin 2006 – his perseverance was remarkable given the lack of infrastructure in India, often necessitating training on dangerous, makeshift Himalayan tracks and self-funding his costs. Keshavan did achieve regional success, however, setting an Asian speed record of 134.3km/h and winning two Asian Luge Cup gold medals in 2011 and 2012. He retired after Pyeongchang 2018, finishing 34th out of 40 in his final men’s singles event.

Bradbury’s calculated fluke, Salt Lake City 2002

Steven Bradbury’s gold medal in the men’s 1000m short-track speed skating remains one of the greatest flukes in Olympic history and Australia’s first Winter Olympic gold. In the chaotic five-man final, Bradbury stayed far back and at the last bend watched as all four leading skaters – Li Jiajun, Apolo Ohno, Ahn Hyun-soo and Mathieu Turcotte – collided. While they slid on to the ice, Bradbury, the only man left standing, glided over the finish line with a time of 1min 29.109sec. The then 28-year-old instantly became an Australian icon (and meme). He is now a motivational speaker who teaches others – unsurprisingly – the benefits of persistence and resilience.

Boit’s embrace, Nagano 1998

In the 10km classical cross-country skiing event at Nagano 1998, Philip Boit made history as Kenya’s first Winter Olympian. The former middle-distance runner, who had switched to skiing only two years prior, finished in 92nd, the last man over the line. His finishing time was nearly eight minutes behind the second-to-last finisher, and nearly double the time of the winner Bjorn Dæhlie’s 27min 24.5sec. Despite the vast difference in performance, the Norwegian gold medallist waited at the finish line to greet Boit with an embrace. This act moved Boit so much that he later named his first son, Dæhlie Boit, in honour of the champion. “All my friends and family said he had to be a very good-hearted man because he waited for me in Nagano, and that I should keep his name in my family,” said Boit.