Since they began in 1924, the Winter Olympic Games have inspired the public with boundless feats of athleticism. They have also stirred up their own forms of drama throughout history.
From amazing stunts to scandals filled with sabotage, photographers have captured historic Olympic moments from around the world.
See also: How to Watch and Follow the Sochi Winter Olympics Online
One of the most notorious events to come out of any Olympics is the scandal between U.S. figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. In January 1994, a man hit Kerrigan on the knee on the night before the U.S. figure skating championship. We later learned that Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and bodyguard Shawn Eckhardt masterminded the attack in hopes of improving Harding's chances at the U.S. trials and, ultimately, the Olympics. Kerrigan couldn't compete in the national championship, but she was selected for the 1994 team along with Harding. However, karma came back to bite Harding in the butt — she finished eighth in the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, while Kerrigan, by then fully recovered from the injury, won the silver medal.
An inspiring story to come out of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary was that of the Jamaican bobsled team. They were seen as underdogs, representing a tropical nation in a winter sport, and ultimately crashed during one of their final four runs down the track. However, they displayed significant improvement during their time in Calgary, and impressed the other teams and observers with fast starts. They even inspired a film based on their triumphs — Cool Runnings.
Take a look back at some of the most iconic photographs from the Winter Olympics below, including dangerous crashes, upsetting losses and stunning poses.
A view of the ski jump on the last day of the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics held in Austria.
The U.S. hockey team celebrates winning the gold medal after defeating Finland 4-2 in the gold medal match during the 1980 Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Mario Dezolt of Italy in action during the first leg of the men's cross-country relay at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway.
Joakim Karlberg (left) of Sweden falls as Andrey Bobrov (right) of the U.S.S.R. skates past during the 1,500 meter speed skating event at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, Canada.
Antti Tormanen of Finland is smashed into the glass by a player from the Czech Republic at Aqua Wing during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
American figure skater Dick Button practices his jumps in February 1948 in St. Moritz during the Winter Olympic Games. Button won the gold medal and repeated his feat in Oslo, Norway, in 1952. Button became the first American figure skater to win gold and he fearlessly introduced the double axel to Olympic competition only two days after successfully completing one for the first time.
Norwegian ski jumper Stein Gruben prepares his descent with the Olympic torch during the opening ceremony at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway.
Athletes compete during the Men's 50 Kilometer Mass Start Classic cross-country skiing event on day 17 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, on Feb. 28, 2010, in Whistler, Canada.
German skier Chistl Cranz competes before a crowd, which includes uniformed Nazis, in the women's alpine combined skiing event during the IV Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 8, 1936, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
General view as the course for the men's downhill is inspected during the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, on Feb. 12, 1998.
U.S. figure skaters Tonya Harding (left) and Nancy Kerrigan avoid each other during a training session on Feb. 17, 1994, in Hamar, Norway, during the Winter Olympics. Kerrigan was hit on the knee in January 1994 during the U.S. Olympic Trials, and it was later learned that Harding's ex-husband and bodyguard masterminded the attack in hopes of improving Harding's chances at the trials and the Olympics.
Gerda Weissensteiner of Italy in action during the women's luge singles event at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway.
American hockey players cheer their upset victory over Canada in the Winter Olympics a few minutes after the game ended on Feb. 25, 1960, in Squaw Valley, California. Often called "the forgotten miracle," the U.S. upset vastly superior Canadian and Soviet teams with Cold War tensions creeping in.
Team Jamaica competes in the four-man bobsled at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary. Team members Nelson Chris Stokes, Dudley Stokes, Devon Harris and Michael White were the first to compete in bobsled from their country.
Shizuka Arakawa (center) of Japan reacts to her results after she performed during the women's Free Skating program during day 13 of the Turin Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 23, 2006. She later won the gold medal for women's figure skating.
International Olympic Committee President Count Henri de Baillet-Latour (center right, with hand inside his coat) stands with New York Governor (and later U.S. President) Franklin D. Roosevelt (center) during the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Feb. 4, 1932.
An impression shot at the start of the women's short tracking skating race taken at the 1988 Winter Olympics head in Calgary.
Canadian goalkeeper Roberto Luongo misses the puck during the men's ice hockey preliminary round, Canada vs. Finland, on Feb. 19, 2006.
U.S. skater Dan Jansen sits on the ice with his hands in his head after he falls for the second time in the men's 1,000 meter event on Feb. 14, 1988, in Calgary, Canada.
Norway's Torbjorn Yggeseth flies through the air in the ski jump event at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Olympics in Austria.
Russian pair Roman Kostomarov and Tatiana Navka perform in the Ice Dancing Free Dance event during the figure skating competition at the Winter Olympics on Feb. 20, 2006.
Gerhard Koehler of Austria is treated for an injury after the bobsled he was in collided into the wall on the final corner during the two-man bobsled final on day 9 of the Turin Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 19, 2006.
Norwegian ice skater Sonja Henie on the ice at Chamonix, France, during the first Winter Olympics in January 1924. In this photo, she was only 11 years old, and went on to win the gold medal in individual women's figure skating at age 15.
A snowboarder flies though the Olympic rings during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Feb. 12, 2010.
Eva Huckova of Slovakia competes in the women's alpine skiing downhill training on day 3 of the Turin Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 13, 2006.
Women's gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa of Japan performs during the figure skating gala exhibition on day 14 of the Turin Winter Olympic Games on Feb. 24, 2006.
Joe Moore (center), world champion amateur indoor skater, trains for international competition in Lake Placid, N.Y. Moore competed in the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix, France.
Shaun White of the United States competes in the men's snowboarding half-pipe practice on day 6 of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Feb. 17, 2010.
Team captain Scott Niedermayer (center) of Canada waves to fans after receiving the gold medal following his team's 3-2 overtime victory during the men's ice hockey game between the U.S. and Canada on day 17 of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Feb. 28, 2010
Fireworks fill the night sky on Feb. 8, 2002, during the opening ceremonies of the XIX Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.