Watch the pivotal moments from the Beijing Winter Games

In the Winter Olympics filled with unexpected victories and losses, defining moments often happen in just a split second. These are some of the most visually impressive high-speed scenes captured by New York Times journalists.

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Women’s Figure Skating Short Program

Karen Chen, 22, of the United States competed in both the women’s short program and the free skating event. Throughout her career, Chen has worn sparkling skate dresses Meticulously stitched by her mother. She won a silver medal in the team event.

Women’s antennas

China’s Kong Fanyu, 28, falls off her last jump during the women’s parasailing final at Jinting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.

Chloe Kim’s Journey to Gold in Half Pipe

American Chloe Kim took to the air on Thursday, February 10, to Win the gold medal In the women’s half-pipe figure skating event. For Kim, 21, this was her second straight gold medal in the event.

women slalom

American Paula Moltzan, 27, finished eighth in the women’s slalom and 12th in the giant slalom.

Men’s Downhill Skiing

Swiss Vaz Fuse, 34, won the men’s downhill race, crossing the finish line by just ten seconds over silver medalist, France’s Johann Cleary. Clary, 41, became the oldest Olympic medalist in the Alps.

Yuzuru Hanyu almost fell four-axis

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan attempted a four-axle attempt – a jump that required 4.5 laps – in his free skating program on February 10, the first such attempt in Olympic history.

Men’s Big Ski Jump

Marius Lindvik, 23, of Norway flew 140 meters before landing during his gold-medal jump in the men’s hill jump final.

skeleton for men

Samuel Meyer, of Austria, 22, rounds one of the 16 curves at Yanqing National Skating Center during the men’s skeletal drill, an event in which athletes first head onto an ice track at more than 130 kilometers per hour.

short track speed skating

Bens Nogrady, 19, from Hungary; Isaac de Lat, 27, from the Netherlands; and Katsunori Koike, 21, of Japan, raced during the men’s 5,000m relay final.

Men’s snowboarding slope

A few days before his 18th birthday, China’s Su Yiming won the silver medal in figure skating, the country’s first Olympic medal in figure skating.