Combining the intricate, detailed technique of ski jumping with the lung-busting, gladiatorial nature of cross-country skiing might seem like a challenge too far for many, but in three-time Olympic champion Eric Frenzel’s eyes it is exactly this dichotomy which makes Nordic combined the “king” of the winter sports. 

The Swiss ski jumper is the only person to have achieved two doubles at the Winter Games, eight years apart. He won his fourth title on 20 February 2010 in Vancouver, on Whistler’s big hill, leaving his rivals far behind, inscribing his name in golden letters in the Olympic history books.

As part of an educational collaboration, the Information, Knowledge and Games Learning (IKL) section of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) are set to host the first Games Experience Programme (GEP) across both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This will provide a world-class experiential learning opportunity both for those already involved in the major events industry and for those aspiring to join it.

On 19 February 2014 in Sochi, Ole Einar Bjørndalen was the artisan of Norway’s victory in the first ever Olympic biathlon mixed relay. Having already won the sprint ten days earlier, he took his eighth Olympic title and thirteenth medal, making him one of the greatest Olympic winter athletes of all time.

There may be no one on the planet right now more suited to the task of peeling back the intricate layers of ski jumping than Maren Lundby. In the past two years the Norwegian has taken her discipline to a new level, crushing the opposition in the process of winning the Olympic and World Championship titles and finishing as the overall World Cup winner in both the past two seasons. It helps that she is also a great talker…

With fifteen podium places, Marit Bjørgen has more medals than any other Olympic Winter Games athlete. She shares the record for the most titles with fellow Norwegians, cross-country skier Bjørn Daehlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen – all of them have eight gold medals. She won her first gold in Vancouver, on 17 February 2010, at the close of the sprint final. It was her third Olympic Games!

Two years after transforming her career by grabbing bronze in the women’s skeleton at PyeongChang 2018, Great Britain’s Laura Deas is a different athlete with different objectives. But while she is fully focused on going two steps higher on the podium in Beijing in 2022, she never underestimates the power of that magical moment in the Republic of Korea.

Switzerland won four Olympic gold medals in cross-country skiing - all thanks to Dario Cologna. In addition, the Santa Maria Val Müstair Champion accomplished a unique feat in the PyeongChang 2018 Games, winning the 15 km to become the first skier to make his mark three times over the same distance at the Games.

As people around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day on 14 February, we look back at six special moments that we loved from the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Lausanne 2020.