Winter Olympics sports can range from the curious to the terrifying. Athletes put their bodies under intense pressure and at immense risk in their pursuit of gold.

Here are six comparisons of how Winter Olympians perform extreme feats of bravery, endurance and precision - plus one that shows Curling is quite good exercise too.

1. The ski jump is roughly a 40-storey drop from top to bottom

The Large Hill ski jump at Sochi has a vertical drop of 140m from their starting position to the landing area. That is roughly equivalent to a 40-storey fall in about nine seconds.

Competitors reach speeds of around 90km/h, with one study recording a skier at a top speed of 120km/h. By the time they land, they are travelling at just under 70km/h.

2. Skeleton riders cop 5Gs of force and can't try to stop

Competitors in the skeleton can be subjected to as much as 5Gs of force on steep or sharp turns as they hurtle down the track - headfirst - at up to 135km/h. That is the same amount of force as riding a roller coaster, but with nothing holding you in place.

Athletes use their shoulders, knees and toes to steer the sled. And if human instinct kicks in and they try to slow down, they are disqualified.

3. Biathletes can slow their heart rate by 60bpm

Biathletes are trained to have incredible control over their bodies. After skiing flat out for 4km (for men) or 3km (for women), they can slow their heart rates from a frenetic 200 beats per minute to a more manageable 140 per minute.

4. Then they shoot at a target half the width of a coffee cup

That gives them the precision they need to squeeze out four shots at a 4.5cm target - about half the width of a small takeaway coffee - from 50m away.

The sport also requires shooting at an 11.5cm target - about the width of two smartphones. In some events they ski a penalty lap if they miss.

5. A moguls run is like 80 squats in 30 seconds

Mogul skiers carve their way through a 250m course with a 120m vertical drop, navigating through small mounds of snow. It requires constant short, sharp changes of direction in a compact, hunched stance. The only break comes via two jumps, requiring explosive leg force to gain maximum lift.

Defending women's moguls gold medallist Hannah Kearney has said absorbing one moguls run is equivalent to doing up to 80 squats. In less than 30 seconds.

6. Snowboarders jump as high as two houses

Snowboarders tackling the 200m halfpipe climb its 7m-high walls and then launch themselves a further 7m into the air to perform a series of acrobatic tricks. At their peak they are roughly the same height as two terrace houses stacked on top of each other. To put it another way, they are high as AFL goalposts.

Elite competitors have been clocked with a launch speed off the pipe of 45km/h.

...and curling is about as physical as an hour of aerobics. Sort of.

Curlers sweep at four strokes per second as they coax the stone to the house, according to one study. This exertion lifts the competitor's heart rate to 169 beats per minute for men and 165 beats per minute for women, on average. One estimate in a US report claimed top sweepers would burn up to 500 calories an hour.

That is on a par with an hour of aerobics. So while it lacks the death-defying spectacle of some other Winter Olympics sports, it is a little more strenuous than its nickname of "chess on ice" would imply.