"But there's also the matter of making sure one's equipment is up to snuff - and, beginning with this year's Winter Olympics, that means not having any PFAS, or "forever chemicals," in the mix. What happens if a competitor does turn out to have such chemicals in their equipment? They'll find themselves disqualified. As GearJunkie's Mary Andino reports, three skiiers have been disqualified so far due to their use of fluorocarbon wax, also known as "fluoro wax.""
"Two of the three athletes who were disqualified were cross-country skiiers representing South Korea: Han Dasom and Lee Eui-jin. The third was Japanese snowboarder Shiba Masaki. At least one of those nations was not happy with those findings and pledged to appeal the ruling. "The Ski Association has purchased fluoride-free wax products, so it will protest," a spokesperson for the Korean Olympic Committee told Grist in response to the disqualification."
Olympic competitions now prohibit PFAS ("forever chemicals") in athletes' equipment, starting with this Winter Olympics. Fluorocarbon or "fluoro" wax, long used to increase ski and snowboard speed, contains PFAS and can trigger disqualification. Three competitors were disqualified for using fluorocarbon wax: South Korean cross-country skiers Han Dasom and Lee Eui-jin, and Japanese snowboarder Shiba Masaki. National bodies have expressed intentions to appeal and noted purchases of fluoride-free wax products. Race engineers and manufacturers are pursuing PFAS-free alternatives to replicate the performance benefits without violating the new equipment rules.
Read at InsideHook
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