A tribological perspective on friction and performance in Olympic snow and ice sports

Almqvist, Andreas (author), Kalliorinne, Kalle (author), Supej, Matej (author), Sjödahl, M. (author), Holmberg, H.-C. (author)

With 62% of medals at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina to be awarded in skiing disciplines and the remaining 38% in ice-based events, understanding the determinants of performance is critical. Despite extensive examination of athletes’ physiological, biomechanical, and psychological attributes, the role of tribology—particularly in understanding friction on snow and ice—has received less attention. This is a scientific perspective article outlining key tribological factors and highlighting their importance in Olympic winter sports. In skiing, optimising the ski–snow interaction requires a comprehensive understanding of how friction is influenced by snow crystal morphology, temperature, ski base material and structure, ski stiffness, skier technique, and environmental conditions. For ice-based events, friction is determined by a combination of ice surface roughness, temperature, and sport-specific preparation techniques, as well as equipment design (e.g. blade material and geometry, the running surface finish of curling stones) and athlete technique (e.g. angle of attack in speed skating, sweeping in curling). Ice preparation techniques further influence friction, with specific conditions tailored to each sport. In conclusion, advancements in Olympic winter sports have been significant. However, future breakthroughs in performance may lie in applying tribological insights to optimise the complex interactions between athletes, equipment, and the unique properties of snow and ice. This perspective article aims to guide future research by synthesising current understanding and identifying emerging challenges in winter sports tribology.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, skiing, mechanics, equipment, gliding, winter sports technology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 3229-3241
• Numbering: Vol. 21, iss. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-179902
• UDC: 796.92
• ISSN on article: 1825-1234
• DOI: 10.1007/s11332-025-01533-4
• COBISS.SI-ID: 251151363
• Publication date in RUL: 26.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Sport sciences for health
• Shortened title: Sport sci. health
• Publisher: Springer Nature
• ISSN: 1825-1234
• COBISS.SI-ID: 512811289

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, smučanje, mehanika, oprema, jadralno letenje, tehnologija zimskih športov

Projects

• Funder: SOK - Swedish Olympic Committee