‘I felt tears welling in my eyes’: our readers’ Winter Olympics highlights
The magic, joy, tension, camaraderie and superhuman composure on show in Italy captivated readers
‘Olav-Botn showed superhuman composure’
My favourite moment of the Winter Olympics was Johan Olav-Botn winning gold in the men’s individual biathlon, just a month after the death of his teammate and close friend, Sivert Bakken. Olav-Botn displayed superhuman composure – a prerequisite for anyone competing in biathlon – and he did not shut out the thought of his friend when under the highest pressure. Olav-Botn said that he “felt I was racing with him” on his last lap. To remain skiing and shooting, let alone standing, with that in mind is a feat of mental fortitude worthy of any Olympic gold. I felt tears welling in my eyes when he skied past the finish line and shouted: “Sivert, we did it!” Max Sundsbo, 22, London
‘These two added something special’
The superb snow sports commentary from Ed Leigh and Tim Warwood. What a double act. This Olympics has been fabulous but these two added something special to every event they covered. They were hilarious and informative in equal measure. Tim Burrows, 60, Kenninghall, Norfolk
‘The perfect antidote to nationalism’
The Poland figure skating team’s Little Pierogi mascots. At a time when nationalism is around every corner, a whimsical stuffed toy that celebrates a food item was the perfect antidote. My husband, who has Polish heritage, was so taken with it that he asked if I would make one. I ordered the fabric and it was ready in time for the women’s free skate. Ekaterina Kurakova did not disappoint when she had hers with her in the kiss and cry. Laura, 46, London
‘The energy was visceral’
Milano Cortina was my fifth Games. We were lucky enough to be at the men’s large hill ski jumping in Predazzo. The whole night was one big celebration of sport that completely captured the Olympic spirit. Everyone cheered for every athlete, with even bigger cheers going up for the longest of jumps. There was no need for crowd fluffers; the energy was already there with the spectators, and it was visceral. I was supporting Ukraine as I have Ukrainian heritage. I even managed to get on to the big screens and TV – my mum sent me a text to say she had seen me! Solie Mokienko, 52, Bedfordshire
‘I was in tears’
The moment that struck me the most was when Alysa Liu won her gold medal. The admiration the other ice skaters showed while they watched her performance epitomised the whole atmosphere of these games, which have been a display of comradeship and fair play (mostly). I was in tears as she left the rink and exploded in pure joy. Thank you all. See you here in four years. Ange, France
‘Genuine joy’
My highlight was Nazgul the dog, who just wanted to run in the snow, be with people and be happy. That moment stood out. As did the genuine joy of watching athletes share victories and losses; the way they supported each other seconds after the rivalry of competition had finished was wonderfully inspiring and feels unique to the Olympics. It was a delightful fortnight. Desi, Oxfordshire
‘They were inspirational’
The pairs skating final with that perfect free skate from the Japanese pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara after a devastating mistake in the short programme. The resolve required to battle back with that clean, exciting and superb routine was amazing. I’ve had to watch it again to enjoy it properly without the tension of hoping they didn’t fluff it! The whole Japanese skating team were inspirational throughout. Penny Roberts, 66, Illogan, Cornwall
‘One in a billion’
The women’s slalom. The Swedish skier Sara Hector and the Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund were on exactly the same time after run one. Then they also finished the second run in exactly the same time, which meant they shared the silver medal. One in a billion! They were so happy for each other, and even happier for Federica Brignone, the Italian who won gold after coming back from a serious injury. Such joy. Magic. Per Olsson, 65, Gillingham
‘They gave it their all’
When Ebba Andersson lost a ski, the Sweden cross-country relay team were overtaken. Worse was to come as the ski then broke and a technician had to run to her with a replacement. Andersson left nothing out on the course and collapsed with exhaustion at the end of her leg, but the team found themselves in a disastrous eighth place. Thankfully the skiers in the third and fourth legs, Frida Karlsson and Jonna Sundling, gave it their all and somehow recovered to second place. Fantastic teamwork, and fantastic attitude from all four. Chris Brandt, 67, Brighton
‘I feel proud of Italy’
During the buildup to the event in Italy, I saw a barrage of criticism directed towards the organisers. It saddened me at the time but, after seeing the spectacular opening ceremony at San Siro and having the good fortune to have attended ice hockey matches at Rho Fiera, I feel happy and proud of what Italy has achieved. A highlight was the parade of athletes through the streets of Milan, which are so familiar to me. People in Milan have welcomed athletes and spectators from all over the world, which is the real spirit of the Olympics. I am a primary school teacher at an international school and it has been a great learning experience for the students. They have been inspired by the amazing athletes participating in the Games, in particular the ones from their home countries. Sally Flanagan, Milan, Italy