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What: “Nagano ’98 Olympics: Bud Greenspan’s Stories of Honor and Glory”

Where: Showtime

When: Sunday, 8-10 p.m.

Bud Greenspan’s formula for making Olympic documentaries is simple: Look for half a dozen or so fascinating stories, preferably ones ignored by network television, tell those stories in an in-depth, dramatic fashion, mix in some captivating, never-before-seen footage, string the stories together and you’ve got a film.

Sounds easier than it is.

But Greenspan is always able to pull it off, and he has done it again.

This documentary on the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, could be Greenspan’s best Olympic film, which is saying something. The stories, along with the writing, production, cinematography, editing, music and narration by Will Lyman, are what make this film so superb. The writing may be the most important aspect. Greenspan, above all else, is a story-teller, and all seven stories in this film are excellent.

What Greenspan brings us is far different from what CBS gave us last February. CBS featured Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan winning the gold and silver in figure skating; Greenspan focuses on bronze medal winner Lu Chen, a Chinese citizen living in San Francisco. If her story doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, nothing will. After battles with loneliness and depression and thoughts of suicide came her triumph--yes, third place was a triumph.

Another emotional story provides an up-close look at Kirstin Holum, a 17-year-old senior at Pius XI High in Milwaukee, who cries in the arms of her coach and mother, Dianne, after finishing sixth in the 3,000-meter speedskating race. Dianne Holum won a gold and silver medal in speedskating at the 1972 Sapporo Games.

When you think back to the Nagano Games, you may think of weather delays, hotel rooms trashed by members of the embarrassed U.S. hockey team and shabby coverage by CBS. After viewing Greenspan’s film, your memories will be vastly different.