EVERY four years it just happens, and there is nothing I can do to prevent it.

I can easily go year after year with no interest in any winter sports, never bothering to watch an episode of Ski Sunday, flicking the channel over at the sight of a snowboard or ice skates.

But when the competition is held under the Olympic rings, I'm glued to it.

We are only a few days into the Winter Olympics, this year being held in Pyeongchang in South Korea, and already there has been so much sporting drama.

It's difficult to not be gripped by the action - just take the British hopefuls.

On Monday we had Team GB's Aimee Fuller coming 17th in the final of the women's slopestyle snowboarding competition after a heavy crash on her second run. The added drama of that competition was that is shouldn't have been run at all, as conditions for the final were widely considered to be too dangerous due to the strong winds. It's unbelievable Olympic officials could have made the ridiculous decision to run it, and not postpone it for 24 hours. Imagine being an athlete like Aimee who has trained for four years, only to get to the biggest stage but are not able to demonstrate what you can do.

Yesterday came the biggest heartbreak though as short track speed skater Elise Christie - who has won medals in all other competitions - could not finally win her first Olympic medal.

She looked well on course for gold when she set the first world record of the entire games in a qualifying round, but it was not to be when she crashed out for a second time in an Olympic final.

It was difficult to watch her crying in an interview, explaining she was knocked over.

But this just further proves how important the Winter Olympics are. They are certainly the equal of the summer games, and should be respected.

This is sport at an elite level, with just millimetres and thousandths of a second separating competitors.

Taking risks and split second judgements can be the difference between the glory of getting to stand on the podium, or missing out on a medal completely.

If you haven't seen the games yet it is certainly worth giving them try at some point before the closing ceremony.