When temperatures reach the 20s and even teens, our immediate reaction is to grab our winter coats. Olympic athletes are quite the opposite. When they are racing downhill, you may notice their "speed suits". These are the skin-tight suits that they wear while competing.
Paralympian Allie Johnson explains, "It's all about aerodynamics. You try to get down the fastest way possible, and sometimes hundredths of a second matter, and having the tight speed suits."
If these Olympians and Paralympians were to wear regular winter gear, it would create drag. This is the force that pushes back on a person as they ski.
Despite cold conditions, athletes will tough it out if it means getting a gold medal.
"We do a bunch of different exercises to get our muscles and bodies ready for the race. I always wear a gator because I hate having the wind in my face."
She also tells me that they will keep extra layers on right before the start of the competition, and put them back on once they get to the bottom of the hill.
These athletes have dealt with these conditions most of their lives, and this is nothing new.
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