Winter Olympics 2018: Guide to alpine skiing

Lindsey Vonn is hoping to win another gold to add to the one she won in Vancouver in 2010. She missed Sochi in 2014 because of injury.

How it works

All five disciplines are races against the clock, with the individual events comprising one or two runs. Downhill and super-G are for speed freaks, slalom and giant slalom require technical expertise to negotiate a series of gates with sharp and rapid turns, and alpine combined is an all-round test.

Anything new since Sochi 2014?

There is a Winter Olympics debut for the alpine team event, a knockout competition in which 16 teams of four - each consisting of two men and two women - take it in turns to race head-to-head on parallel slalom courses. The super combined has been renamed alpine combined.

British prospects

Dave Ryding of Great Britain is hoping to win Britain's first Olympic medal

Dave Ryding claimed slalom World Cup silver in January 2017 - the best result by a British skier for 35 years. It was one of six top-10 finishes last season for an athlete who learned his trade on Lancashire's dry ski slopes. It suggests a first British Olympic medal in alpine skiing is a possibility.

Who to look out for

American Mikaela Shiffrin became slalom's youngest female Olympic champion in Sochi and has won three straight world titles. Compatriot and 2010 downhill champion Lindsey Vonn returns after missing Sochi with a knee injury, while Austrian Marcel Hirscher was the only skier to win three World Championship medals last year.

I didn't know that...

The skiing speed world record of 158mph was set in 2016 by Italy's Ivan Origone. He reached 125mph in 5.5 seconds, faster acceleration than a Formula 1 car. The world record while being towed on skis is held by former British Olympic skier Graham Bell - now a BBC presenter - who peaked at 117.48mph in Sweden last March.

Great Britain's medallists

None (highest position: fourth - Gina Hathorn, women's slalom, 1968).

How do I get involved?

Fancy giving skiing a go? Take a look at this Get Inspired guide.