Vancouver 2010: Science gives Canada's athletes an edge

"Science and technology are now part of the equation of making a champion. Research can put seconds in an athlete's back pocket." Dr. Guy Larose, NRC

To help prepare for Vancouver 2010, Canada's Own the Podium 2010 organization put NRC scientists to work in areas that are crucial to improving athletic performance. Dr. Guy Larose, and Annick D'Auteuil, of the NRC Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC-IAR) have been working alongside many of our winter Olympians to help them achieve a winning edge.

Dr. Guy Larose specializes in bluff body aerodynamics. He has worked with Canada's Olympic athletes since preparation began for the Torino Games in 2005. He is also a winter sports enthusiast who skis and plays hockey.

Putting science behind our athletes, aerodynamic research is supporting our champions in a number of winter sport competitions, including speed skating.

Annick D'Auteuil is a PhD candidate in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada), she is studying the aerodynamics of the human body. Her work involved testing the aerodynamics of Canada's speed skaters and their race suits. Enrolled in the Graduate Student Supplement Scholarship Program at NRC, she believes that NRC is the place to do experimental work in aerodynamics. "I would never have been able to do this research anywhere else. It's magic here," says Annick

In sports where speed is the critical factor, athletes and coaches search out ways to shave hundredths of a second off their finish times. But friction from ice and snow, as well as aerodynamic drag, are their worst enemies. These are the key factors that work against motion. That's where research into understanding the aerodynamics of the human body can give our athletes an edge.

At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games the Canadian team felt that they were at a disadvantage. Coaching, training and practice were not enough to produce the winning results they were looking for. It was then that Own the Podium was established and planning for Canada's Top Secret Program began. The goal was to add science and technology to the equation, converting 4^th and 5^th place standings to podium finishes.

2006, Torino, Italy: Science and technology enter the picture. NRC scientists worked with Canadian athletes during the eight months preceding the Games. The result was positive — more medal winning finishes for Canada than ever before.

To prepare for Vancouver 2010, Canada's Top Secret Program put scientists to work on four areas that are crucial to improving athletic performance in winter sports: snow friction, ice friction, aerodynamics and human performance. As Canada is the number one skating nation in the world, our speed skaters were the focus of intense research to help them reach peak performance.

A recipe to make the best skating suit possible

In speed skating, a solid understanding of airflow around the human body not only helps the athlete improve their body position and reduce drag; it is also critical when analyzing the performance of their race suits.

Knowing this, NRC researchers set out to investigate different factors that can influence the aerodynamic performance of the athlete and their equipment. To do this accurately, aerodynamic drag on the skater's body needed to be measured for several different body positions because skaters continuously change their body shape as they move around the track.

Most importantly, results from the aerodynamic performance tests had to be analyzed, interpreted and implemented quickly. Skaters were able to see and feel improvements resulting from even minor adjustments to their body position, race suit or both. Coaches could simulate race sequences and get real-time feedback. And the suit manufacturer, Descente Ltd^TM, was able to make rapid modifications to the race suits tested.

Based on NRC tests, the best race suit for Canada's speed skating team has been selected. According to Dr. Larose, "the suit has evolved significantly from that worn at the Torino games."

NRC's 2 x 3 metre wind tunnel is a research "workhorse". Located in Ottawa, it was built in 1942 to test the aerodynamics of aircraft. Today, 70% of testing in the tunnel deals with bluff body aerodynamics, not aircraft. The tunnel can create wind speeds of up to 400 km/hr. Bobsleigh and luge athletes can reach speeds up to 153 km/hr, alpine skiers to 130 km/hr and speed skaters to approximately 60 km/hr.

Ready to shred

Speed skating is not the only winter sport that benefited from NRC's expertise.

For the first time snowboard, para-alpine skiing, ski-cross and free-style aerial competitors visited NRC's wind tunnel, looking to make significant aerodynamic improvements to their sport. Canada's skeleton and luge teams were back, to refine and adjust their equipment. Two different sleighs were tested for the men's bobsleigh team and three-time Olympian Rob Boyd, now coach of the women's alpine ski team, brought his racers to NRC as well. Members of Canada's cross-country ski and biathlon teams as well as para-nordic competitors also paid a visit to NRC's test facilities.

Snowboarders likely found NRC testing to be an eye-opening experience. According to Dr. Larose, "boarders tend to go low to increase their speed but, unlike downhill racers, a tuck position in snowboarding does not increase speed. It increases drag." Not surprisingly, NRC tests resulted in recommended improvements to body positions over the board as well as to clothing styles.

They should be ready to shred — the course as well as the record books.

To our 2010 Olympians — NRC wishes you all golden finishes. Good luck!