clhs sciblog

As Olympic athletes get faster and better, the competition gets fiercer. Lately, great stress has been put on competition suits.  Many hours of research have been put into these “speed suits” to make them more resilient and aerodynamic. The goal of these special suits is to reduce drag on an athlete’s body. In order to combat this wind resistance, rough surfaces are worked into the suits. It may seem logical that smoother surfaces would be more aerodynamic, but the idea is similar to how a golf ball flies farther because of its dimples. Miniature “whirlpools” are created in the rough spots and the air can move smoothly and easily above these whirlpools.

Aerodynamic suits help speed skaters move faster with less drag. (Click photo for source.)

New progression in these suits is important as countries hope to gain a slight advantage over the rest of the competition. These suits can  be seen as a status symbol, showing other countries that they are willing to put time, money, and effort to be the best. These suits will also help athletes to perform at the top of their game, and as new progress is made, more world records can be broken.

To learn more, watch the video here.

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