Winter Olympics: Countdown To The Games

Travelling to South Korea days before the Winter Olympic Games opening ceremony, Clare Balding takes in a flavour of the country, meeting local people and getting their view on the Games, while also looking into the political landscape and how rising tensions between North Korea and the USA affect people’s daily lives.

In South Korea Team GB will be confident of adding to its historic 26 Winter Olympic medals - thanks in part to a doubling of Winter Sport funding from £13.5m in Sochi to £29.7m.

The medal target for GB of between four and eight medals is higher than ever and Clare meets two of the main hopes in Elise Christie and Lizzy Yarnold.

After the heartbreak of being disqualified three times in Sochi and suffering online abuse, Elise will look for redemption in the short track speed skating. Meanwhile in the Skeleton Bob, Lizzy aims to become the first Briton to retain a Winter Olympic gold as she makes a comeback after taking a year out of the sport.

Also in the programme Sochi Olympic slopestyle bronze medallist Jenny Jones meets Yorkshire 20-year-old Katie Ormerod, who is set to challenge in the new Big Air event and the Snowboard Slopestyle.

In the alpine events, Dave Ryding became the first Briton for 36 years to claim a World Cup medal when he made the slalom podium in Kitzbuhel in 2017. Former Olympian Chemmy Alcott meets the Lancashire skier, whose incredible underdog story includes learning to ski on a dry slope in Pendle. Chemmy also meets American alpine star Lindsey Vonn, who will attempt to win a second Olympic gold in Pyeongchang.

Finally Clare meets Winter Olympic ice dancing legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean who relive their golden moment in Sarajevo 1984 before looking at the UK’s oddly ingrained fascination with winter sport since the Games inception in Chamonix 1924.

Publicity contact: ME