Events to watch at Winter Olympics 2018

Supernatural feats, mighty crashes and full-on adrenaline. On February 9th, the best winter sports athletes in the world are set to gather in PyeongChang, South Korea as the 2018 Winter Olympics gets under way. Ready to put their bodies on the line in a bid for eternal glory. However you plan to absorb the action, here's five must-watch ski and snowboard events.

1. Big Air - snowboarD

A brand new event for this year’s Olympics, get ready to watch some of the world’s best boarders launching themselves through the air – Pyeongchang’s course boasts the world’s tallest big air ramp (49m). Judges will be scoring them based on technical skill, style and overall execution.

WHO TO WATCH:

We’ll be cheering-on Katie Ormerod and Billy Morgan for Team GB. Canadians Mark McMorris and Max Parrot are among the men’s favourites to medal, while Anna Gasser (Austria) and Jamie Anderson (USA) are widely seen as the women’s frontrunners.

WHEN TO WATCH:

Women’s qualifying: Feb 19
Women’s finals: Feb 23
Men’s qualifying: Feb 21
Men’s finals: Feb 24

2. Downhill - ski

As far as sitting on the sofa goes, there are few things more exhilarating than watching pro skiers race downhill at more than 80mph – in 2013, Johan Clarey (France) set the record at 100.6mph. Typical courses are around 30 metres wide, with a vertical drop of 450-1,100m for men, and 450-800m for women. To get a sense of the Pyeongchang downhill, watch Graham Bell skiing the course here

Who to watch:

Most bets are on Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) to take the women’s gold, while 2010 medallist Lindsey Vonn (USA) is hoping to make an Olympic comeback. Men’s frontrunners include current World Cup leaders Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway) and Beat Feuz (Switzerland).

When to watch:

Men’s downhill: Feb 11
Women’s downhill: Feb 21

3. Slalom - ski

The sheer skill and technical precision of slalom skiers is mesmerizing. As they zigzag down the course, notice that the gates are set-up in various combinations, such as open gates (across the fall line), vertical closed gates (vertically) and hairpins (two vertical closed gates). Fastest to the bottom wins.

Who to watch:

The reigning women’s champion Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) is the favourite for gold, while Petra Vlhova (Slovakia) also hopes to take a medal. World Cup champ Marcel Hischer (Austria) is expected to take gold for the men, and our very own Dave Ryding (GB) has the potential to podium.

When to watch:

Women’s slalom: Feb 14
Men’s slalom: Feb 22

4. Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross

A four-person race over jumps, rollers and banks, anything can happen in ski cross or border cross. Crashes and collisions are common but deliberate contact is grounds for disqualification. The lead skier/boarder has right of way. First to cross the line wins gold.

Who to watch:
Men’s ski cross frontrunners include current World Cup leaderMarc Bischofberger (Switzerland) and reigning Olympic champion Jean-Frederic Chapuis (France).Sandra Naeslund (Sweden) and Heidi Zacher (Germany) are among the strongest females, and Emily Sarsfield is a hopeful for Team GB.

Representing Britain in the snowboard cross is Zoe Gillings-Brier, who will become the first British snowboarder to compete at four Winter Olympics. Frontrunners include reigning Olympic champion and current World Cup leader Pierre Vaultier (France), and Sochi gold medallist and the Czeh Republic’s most successful snowboarder, Eva Samkova.

When to watch:

Men’s snowboard cross: Feb 15
Women’s snowboard cross: Feb 16
Men’s ski cross: Feb 21
Women’s ski cross: Feb 23

5. Slopestyle - ski and snowboard

Joining the Olympics in 2014, slopestyle sees acrobatic individuals flying down a course that’s riddled with rails and jumps. Performing spins, grabs, grinds and flips along the way, they’re judged on their flow, execution and variety, with extra points for landing switch (backwards).

Who to watch:
Britain has a stonking slopestyle ski team, thanks to the likes of Isabel Atkin, Katie Summerhayes,and James Woods. World Cup leader Jennie-Lee Burmansson (Sweden) and last season’s World Cup winner Sarah Hoefflin (Switzerland) also stand a chance of medalling. Men’s frontrunners include World Cup leader Oystein Braaten (Norway) and reigning Olympic champ Joss Christensen (USA).

In snowboarding, Aimee Fuller and Katie Ormerod are the ones to watch for Team GB, and Anna Gasser (Austria) and Jamie Anderson (US) are among the women’s favourites. For the men, look out for Billy Morgan (GB), Marcus Kleveland (Norway) and Darcy Sharpe (Canada).

When to watch: