Top 20 most unforgettable Winter Olympics moments of all time revealed | UK | News
Great Britain’s Lizzy Yarnold won two gold medals in women’s Skeleton (Image: Getty Images)
The greatest Winter Olympic Games moments of all time have emerged, with Torvill and Dean’s unforgettable Boléro routine from Sarajevo ’84 topping the list. Still regarded as one of Britain’s most iconic sporting triumphs, the event attracted more than 24 million viewers, making it one of the most watched television events ever in the UK.
Other special moments included Eddie the Eagle’s iconic ski jump at Calgary ’88, as well as Amy Williams’ stunning gold medal at Vancouver 2010, ending a 30-year wait for Team GB. Lizzy Yarnold’s back-to-back championship wins at Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018 also ranked high.
Read more: Meet Matt Weston as Winter Olympics’ ‘edgy’ star goes for gold
Read more: Charlotte Bankes, star of the Great Britain team, represented another country at the Winter Olympics
The research was commissioned by Samsung UK and Ireland, which gifted the Galaxy Z Flip7 Olympic Edition phone to 3,800 athletes.
Annika Bizon, the phone brand’s vice president of mobile experience, said: “There’s a reason we’re obsessed with stories of the underdog, and at the Winter Games they remind us that every great moment is built on thousands of underdog moments that never make it into the highlight reel. What’s changed now is that athletes don’t have to wait.”
“They can lead us into a complicated middle ground—progress, setbacks, little breakthroughs that don’t seem like much but feel like everything in the moment.
“That’s what our partnership with Milan Cortina 2026 is about – the belief in openness and the idea that everyone’s journey, no matter how small it may seem, deserves to be seen and celebrated.”
The study also found that despite these remarkable moments, 37% of respondents plan to watch the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games more than Beijing 2022.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won gold for Great Britain in 1984. (Image: Getty Images)
Other memorable moments in the top 10 list included Team GB’s women’s curling gold medal in Sochi in 2014 and Shaun White’s iconic snowboard halfpipe run in Vancouver in 2010.
9% chose ‘Miracle on Ice’; The dreamy USA beat the all-conquering Russia in ice hockey in 1980.
Fans say these biggest moments stand out not just because of the outcome, but also because their stories are compelling (40%) and show resilience (38%). And fifth, they participate because they enjoy the storytelling behind the Games (21%).
Some of the top reasons why people want to watch the Winter Olympics more this year are to support Team GB (30%) or to feel uplifted and inspired (25%).
But 16% say watching these top athletes helps them motivate themselves to push themselves or try new things.
Three out of 10 people who watched the Winter Olympics in the past were touched by what they witnessed.
Seeing an athlete finally achieve their dreams (28%), an underdog story (27%) or watching someone overcome setbacks (23%) are some of the reasons why.
81% agree that it is important to recognize the small wins in daily life; And 61% say personal development photos and videos help them understand how far they’ve come.
Another 45% think celebrating daily victories is important to improve your mood, help you stay positive (42%) and build confidence (41%).
80% of respondents say capturing personal growth moments is just as important as major milestones.
20% of OnePoll.com survey respondents say they are most excited about participating in figure skating, ski jumping (20%) and bobsleigh (19%).
Samsung Galaxy Team athlete Txema Mazet-Brown said: “A lot of people only see what happens on competition day, but for me it’s the progress that happens every day that really matters.
“It’s about knocking down something you’ve been working on, learning from the fall, or getting back up and getting the job done when things don’t go perfectly.
“I’ve always thought that if you stay open to learning and keep pushing, things will keep moving forward. These little victories are what build your confidence over time and give you the belief to take the next step.”
THE 20 BEST WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES MOMENTS OF ALL TIME:
- Torvill and Dean’s Boléro (Sarajevo 1984)
- Eddie the Eagle’s ski jump (Calgary 1988)
- Debut of the Jamaican bobsleigh team (Calgary 1988)
- Team GB women’s curling gold medal (Sochi 2014)
- Amy Williams wins Team GB’s first solo gold medal in 30 years (Vancouver 2010)
- Lizzy Yarnold wins back-to-back gold skeleton titles (Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018)
- “Miracle on Ice” upset ice hockey (USA beat Soviet Union 4-3 in 1980)
- Team GB men’s curling silver (Salt Lake City 2002)
- Chloe Kim’s record-breaking halfpipe win (Beijing 2022)
- Jenny Jones’ snowboard slopestyle bronze – Great Britain’s first medal on snow (Sochi 2014)
- Shaun White’s iconic snowboard halfpipe runs (e.g. Vancouver 2010)
- Shaun White’s halfpipe comeback gold (PyeongChang 2018)
- Ester Ledecká won in both skiing and snowboarding (PyeongChang 2018)
- The collapse and comeback victories of Hermann “The Herminator” Maier (Nagano 1998)
- Yuzuru Hanyu’s legendary figure skating performances (e.g. PyeongChang 2018)
- Steven Bradbury’s final corner short track gold medal (Salt Lake City 2002)
- Eric Heiden’s clean sweep of five golds in speed skating (Lake Placid 1980)
- Shelly Rudman’s groundbreaking skeleton silver (Torino 2006)
- Izzy Atkin’s bronze medal in freestyle skiing (PyeongChang 2018)
