Fleet of fashion

WHEN you tune into the 2018 Winter Olympics, you’ll see plenty of painstakingly picked pieces of clothing. In some cases, the outfits do more than just make competitors look snazzy: they can actually help them go faster.

You’ll notice such high-tech clothes during speed skating events, where athletes zip around ice rinks. It takes a lot of work to pick up speed while balancing on a blade – especially in short-track events, where skaters race all at once in a pack that is prone to painful pileups – so every sliver-of-a-second counts. But how can a suit speed you up?

Unfortunately for speed skaters, the human body isn’t aerodynamic. Even strands of hair can catch air and slow us down – that’s why swimmers often shave their bodies. A skater’s suit covers the body so lumpy skin isn’t getting dragged through the air. Smooth surfaces such as nylon and spandex make the body sleeker, which makes it more aerodynamic.

Designers in the US, in 2014, spent more than two years testing more than 100 kinds of fabric in about 250 combinations. Using different materials meant designers had to be clever about sewing them together, lest any bulging seams increase a skater’s drag. They also wanted to minimise friction.

Designers also added tiny bumps. That sounds like it would increase drag, but those ridges keep skaters speedy for the same reason that golf balls whiz through the sky: the air above each dimple forms a little whirlpool, spinning quickly. That makes the surface move through the air as if on ball bearings, which adds a tiny lick of speed.

But confidence and comfort play a role too. Norway’s team recently announced its members would be wearing blue suits because they skated faster in them than red ones. Unless they’re bluffing, the only explanation for that improvement is that they simply feel faster in blue – which could make them skate faster.

So when you watch your favourite winter event, take a moment to appreciate the gold medallist’s fashion choices. They’re probably the result of years of research. – Washington Post.