8 Of The Most Iconic Moments From The Winter Olympics
From a stunning scoring scandal to epic feats of athletic determination and triumph, these are the Olympic moments spectators remember forever.
by Morgan Brinlee
Sergei Bobylev/TASS/Getty Images
Before you settle in to watch the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing with your family, let’s take a look back at the Games’ most iconic, jaw-dropping moments.
At the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, the U.S. Men’s Ice Hockey Team pulled off what has become known as a miracle on ice when they won gold in a dramatic upset against the Soviet Union. Their story would later inspire the Disney film, Miracle on Ice. Steve Powell/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
Few Olympic moments are as iconic as Jamaica’s first bobsled team’s debut at the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Unfortunately, a serious crash in their third run forced the team to walk across the finish line next to their sled, disqualifying them from the finals.picture alliance/picture alliance/Getty Images
During the 1992 Games in Albertville, Midori Ito of Japan did something no other female figure skater had ever done: She landed a triple Axel in competition. The Japanese figure skater would end up taking home the silver medal.David Madison/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
While the drama between U.S. figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding happened weeks before the 1994 Winter Games when a man attacked Kerrigan at the request of Harding’s ex-husband, things between the two skaters remained tense during competition in Lillehammer.VINCENT ALMAVY/AFP/Getty Images
In 2002, Jamie Salé and David Pelletier appeared on track to win Canada’s first gold medal in figure skating since 1960 when Russians Elana Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won. A French judge later admitted to being bribed and Salé and Pelletier were then awarded gold.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images
Despite injuring herself in a crash two weeks prior, Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win gold in Alpine skiing’s downhill event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Akwasi Frimpong became Ghana’s first Winter Olympic athlete when he competed in the skeleton at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang. Although he placed 30th, Frimpong later became the first African athlete to win a skeleton race following his win at the 2020 Western Regionals in Utah.MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
With 15 Olympic medals and five Olympic Games under her belt, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen remains the most decorated Winter Olympian. She earned her most recent five medals (including two gold) at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.Tim Clayton - Corbis/Corbis Sport/Getty Images
