The Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing will kickstart the beginning of the latest installment of the showpiece, and usher in a sporting bonanza.
Over the course of 16 grand days, a host of events will see the world's best athletes take to courses all over the city in a bid to take home memories to last a lifetime.
There are also the glistening medals up for grabs, of course, and these can be won in a manner of ways, from glorious comebacks and head-on charges, to intricate skills.
Just like the usual summer edition of the Olympics, the winter version enjoys its fair share of the weird and wacky. Here, Sportsmail delves into the strangest sports yet...
The Winter Olympics will begin in Beijing next month, with a host of weird and wacky sports
SKELETON
Those who will participate in this sport next month will quite literally dive into it. Skeleton can be described like sledding, but it is much more high-octane.
Athletes will first sprint 40 metres down the track before throwing themselves, headfirst, onto their sleds.
Then, they will race each other around a track made of ice. Speeds can reach 90 miles an hour, proving a dangerous and thrilling experience.
Olympians will make their way up and down curves in the course by shifting their bodies, due to the lack of a specific steering system.
Skeleton made its debut in 1928 but was then removed from the roster.
It made its return in 2002 for the Salt Lake Games, and will also feature this year.
Skeleton sees athletes hurtle down an ice track at speeds which can reach 90 miles per hour
CURLING
This is another instantly memorable sport included on the schedule for this instalment of the Winter Olympics, and will prove a superb, dramatic watch.
The game is also relatively simple to take in from the comforts of home.
Put simply, Curling sees teams slide a 40-pound granite rock down a sheet of ice towards its back end, to attempt to hit the middle of a target.
Known as the 'button', the very centre of the rings is the objective for participants.
It is growing more and more popular with every passing year, and appears destined to be one of the more iconic events in Beijing.
Curling was introduced for the first time in 1924, and was established as an official competitive staple at the Olympics in 1998.
Curling is one of the more memorable Winter Olympics events and is growing in popularity
Competitors will attempt to slide a heavy granite rock towards the centre of the targets
SKIJORING
Perhaps the most dangerous sport ever witnessed at the Olympics, it is of little
