clhs sciblog

Ski jumping requires athletes to stretch for every inch they can. They try to find the right combination of technique, body size, weight, and aerodynamics. Sometimes the athletes damage their bodies by stretching too far. There are four major factors in ski jumping that help the jumpers succeed, according to Luca Oggiano. Those factors are: a stable position at take off, a high speed at the take off point, the position of the skis in the air, and the shape of the body. The jumpers use their bodies and skis to make themselves almost like an airplane wing. Coaches and athletes have found that athletes that weigh less fly the farthest, except for the fact that they are slower coming down the ramp. Although, this has caused problems with anorexia. Now, athletes with a BMI below 20 must use shorter skis. How long your skis are depends on your BMI. After the Olympics the minimum BMI will be changed to 20.5. To read more, click here.

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