Lara Colturi is only 19 years old, but she's already one of the world's best slalom skiers, with four podium finishes in this season's World Cup. She heads into the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina with the chance of making history, by becoming Albania's first Winter Olympic medallist.

The bid to win a medal is more elusive for some than others. In fact, 84 of the 122 teams have never won a medal in the Winter Olympics. The United States won its first medal in the 1924 Chamonix Olympics, the first winter games held in modern history, along with seven other teams, including Canada and Great Britain.

The Winter Olympics promise plenty of high adrenaline, fierce competition, historic firsts and emotional moments over 2 1/2 weeks. Here are some of the names and narratives to keep an eye on.