"The difference between winning an Olympic medal in ski jumping or being disqualified could come down to a bit of fabric. A larger suit can extend a ski jumper's flight by several meters but it could violate rules that have become more stringent after the Norwegian team was caught cheating at last year's world championships by manipulating the crotch area in the uniforms of its top two male jumpers."
"Ski jumping is as much a science as an art. Teams of experts test skis and clothing in wind tunnels to maximize the aerodynamics at play long before jumpers try to achieve the perfect takeoff, flying form and landing. A study published in October in the journal Frontiers in Sports and Active Living showed that adding 1 cm (0.4 inches) of fabric to the circumference of the suit could increase a jump by 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) enough to separate a winner from an also-ran."
Suit fabric size can determine Olympic ski jumping outcomes by extending flight distance but can violate tightened regulations. Norwegian team officials were caught manipulating the crotch area of uniforms at world championships, prompting regulators to add measures before the Milan Cortina Winter Games. Disqualifications have occurred historically, but a whistleblower video captured a brazen cheating attempt. Teams use wind tunnels to optimize skis and clothing for aerodynamics before jumps. Research shows each additional centimeter of suit circumference can add about 2.8 meters to a jump, with the V-shaped crotch area offering the greatest advantage.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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