Australia will head into the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics with more legitimate medal contenders than it's ever had at a single Games.

Australia's Winter Olympics medal haul Games G S B Tot 2014 - Sochi 0 2 1 3 2010 - Vancouver 2 1 0 3 2006 - Turin 1 0 1 2 2002 - Salt Lake City 2 0 0 2 1998 - Nagano 0 0 1 1 1994 - Lillehammer 0 0 1 1 * Australia has competed in every Winter Olympics since 1936, but it's first medal came in 1994.

Australia's winter athletes live on the periphery of Australian sporting consciousness as they travel to far-flung icy reaches of the world to chase their dream.

But once every four years, they step into the Australian spotlight and perform (sometimes for the first time) in front of family and friends.

The green and gold athletes were once novelties at the Winter event, but beginning with a short track speed skating relay bronze medal in Lillehammer in 1994 that reputation started to change.

Two decades on, they have firmly established themselves as competitors to be reckoned with.

Here's a run-down of the Aussies that are a strong chance to stand on the podium in Pyeongchang.

The serious hopes

Scotty James (Snowboard halfpipe)

The 23-year old is currently the world number one ranked snowboarder in the men's halfpipe competition and is a member of the illustrious 'big three' which includes American Shaun White and Japan's Ayumu Hirano.

Snowboard halfpipe star Scotty James beat American Shaun White in last year's Winter X-Games. The fierce rivals will meet again in Pyeongchang. ( AP / The Aspen Times: Anna Stonehouse )

James has a sterling record in X-Games and World Cup competition and has consistently found himself on the podium in those events.

He'll face stiff competition from his rivals, including White — a double Olympic champion, and the most famous name in snowboarding — but James has enough experience to handle the pressure.

He'll be one of Australia's top medal hopes at these Games in an event whose popularity has risen with each Winter Olympics.

Britt Cox (Moguls)

Cox is another athlete with more experience than her age suggests.

The 2017 world moguls champion will also be in her third Winter Games in Pyeongchang at the age of 23.

She finished in 23rd position in her Olympic debut in Vancouver at just 15 years of age, and then improved to 12th in Sochi four years later.

Her 2016/17 season which culminated in victory at the Sierra Nevada World championships cemented her place as a serious contender for the 2018 Olympics.

Matt Graham (Moguls)

Matt Graham hasn't topped the podium at a World Cup event this year but has enjoyed the most consistent season of any Australian athlete on the World Cup circuit.

Matt Graham (L) should put in a big show in the moguls, but can he knock off Canadian legend Mikael Kingsbury? ( AP: Lee Jin-man )

Graham's problem is that he competes against one of the best mogul skiers in history.

Canadian Mikael Kingsbury has a record 48 World Cup titles to his name, and Graham has been forced to settle for silver and bronze medals at World Cup events this year.

Graham has commented this week that the technical moguls course will suit the Australians.

If that's true, we could see an Australian flag flying early in the Games.

Lydia Lassila (Aerials)

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Heading into her fifth and final Games, Lassila is already an Australian Winter Olympic legend and if she claims a medal in South Korea, she'll be Australia's most successful Winter Olympian.

With a gold in 2010 and a bronze in 2014, the 36-year old has the experience in big competitions to do the job once again.

After spending some time away from the sport, Lassila's pre-Games form has been promising with a World Cup victory in Lake Placid in January.

She's a proven performer and has got enough up her sleeve to win a medal in Pyeongchang.

Alex Pullin (Snowboard cross)

Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin arrived in Sochi with a heavy weight of expectation resting on his shoulders.

Australian flagbearer in Sochi Alex Pullin had a disappointing Games four years ago — now the snowboard cross star is eager to make amends. ( AAP: Paul Miller )

As Australian flagbearer, the two-time world champion failed to make it out of the second round of the ruthless snowboard-cross event.

Pullin will be desperate to make up for that performance and step up on the Olympic stage at Pyeongchang.

With early World Cup victories in the 2017/18 season he's still got what it takes to match it with the best.

Snowboard cross is an unpredictable, and sometimes chaotic event, but Pullin has the talent to emerge on top.

Don't count them out

David Morris nailed his final jump in Sochi for a surprise silver medal in the men's aerials. Can he back it up in Pyeongchang? ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts )

Who will be the David Morris of the Pyeongchang Games? Morris stunned the experts with a silver medal in the aerials in Sochi and there are a number of athletes that have the ability to step up on the big stage.

Morris himself could do it again. He recently landed a jump that includes three flips and five twists. It's the hardest in the book and he could pull it out if he makes the top six in Pyeongchang.

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He's a big game player and has proven himself at the Olympics.

Snowboard-cross competitor Belle Brockhoff arrives in Pyeongchang with one of the more inspiring stories in the Australian Olympic team.

After overcoming a serious knee injury in time for the 2017/18 season, the 25-year old injured her knee again in December.

With limited time to recover, she decided to throw it all at these Winter Olympics and competed once in the lead-up to the Games.

That effort, an eighth-place finish at the Feldburg World Cup, will have given her enormous confidence heading to Pyeongchang.

Could Australia see two medals in the same event? The women's aerials team may just deliver that for the first time.

Danielle Scott, Laura Peel, and Sam Wells have delivered in world championship and World Cup events over the last four years.

Australia's team has plenty of depth, and others including snowboard-cross athlete Jarryd Hughes, mogul skier Brodie Summers, and Olympic snowboard slopestyle debutant Tess Coady aren't out of the question either.

Winter sports carry variables like the weather, the snow conditions, and even crashes.

It's an unpredictable road ahead for every competitor, but Australia has its strongest team yet and will be in the hunt for medals in numerous events in Pyeongchang.