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The best moments from the Wint...

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The best moments from the Winter Olympics so far

Jonathan Duane
Jonathan Duane

03:44 22 Feb 2018


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Winter Olympic fever has taken the world by storm.

It's not often we get to watch figure skating, ski jumping and curling, and we're transfixed.

Here's our favourite moments from the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

1. The Jamaican women's bobsleigh team

The Jamaican women's bobsledding team made history yesterday by competing in its first ever Winter Olympics.

It's 30 years since the men's team made their debut at the games, which inspired the movie Cool Runnings.

And the women's team weren't without their own drama. Pilot Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian and brakewoman Carrie Russell weren't sure if they were going to be able to compete because they didn't have a sled.

Just days before the competition, coach Sandra Kirasis left the team and took the sled with her. She said she had secured the funding for it, so unless they paid her they couldn't use it.

The Jamacian Bobsleigh Federation refused to pay Kirasis but Jamaican brewery Red Stripe stepped in and offered to fund a new sled - telling the team to 'put it on our tab'.

The sled arrived just in time and was given the name 'Mr Cool Bolt' in honour of both sprinter Usain Bolt and Cool Runnings.

The women went on to complete their first run in 51.29 seconds, earning 17th place. They ended up in 19th place overall after their final two runs.

Legends!

2. Elizabeth Swaney: The worst skier at Pyeongchang

Elizabeth Swaney has become an internet sensation for not being very good.

The American skier, who represented Hungary at the games, has gone viral for her mediocre performance.

The 33 year old finished last in qualification for the women’s ski halfpipe final on Monday.

She didn't attempt any tricks and appeared to only be interested in completing her runs safely.

Many are wondering how she reached the Olympics, but it turns out she qualified for the games through sheer shrewdness.

Qualification involves achieving a certain number of top-30 World Cup finishes, and Elizabeth ensured she achieved 13 of them by simply turning up and competing at events where there were fewer than 30 athletes competing.

She says she didn't scam her way into the games, claiming she's "striving to achieve" the level of an Olympic skier.

You go girl!

3. The snowboarding coach who knits on the slopes

The Finnish snowboarding coach became a hit with Olympic fans eveywhere when he was spotted knitting on the slopes in Pyeongchang.

People couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw Antti Koskinen casually knitting while his athletes waited for their run on the slopes.

He reportedly knits to stay calm through tense moments of the competition.

However, the entire Fininsh team are into crafting. They’re all knitting squares at the games, which will be made into a blanket and then presented to the Finnish president and his wife, who welcomed a baby boy earlier this month.

At the Sochi games in 2014, the athletes knit a scarf which they later gifted to the summer Olympics team who headed to Rio De Janeiro in 2016.

Brilliant!


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Bobsleighing Jamaica Olympics Pyeongchang Skiing Snowboarding South Korea Winter Olympics