By Kurt Hall and Joyce Zhou BORMIO, Italy, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Singaporean Faiz Basha is the first competitor to represent his country in a snow sport at the Olympic Winter Games and his road to the frozen slopes from his tropical nation included unconventional training on inline skates.

Explore Singapore's journey in winter sports, from its first Olympian in eight years to the challenges and hopes for future growth. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Americans who top the podium at the Milan Cortina Games will be in line for a $37,500 bonus. Their competitors could collect as much as $800,000.

It is not just the action on the ice that has been grabbing attention. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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.