SPORTC and the 2026 Winter Olympics

Ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the Centre for Sport and Performance Technology at Luleå University of Technology contributed with research in several key areas for Olympic winter sports.

Since the Beijing Olympics, SPORTC has collaborated with researchers from several European countries and the United States to conduct research that reflects the current state of knowledge ahead of the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

The articles cover topics such as snow and ice technology, endurance training, performance optimisation, cognitive neuroscience, sports medicine, and future research directions in alpine and ice-based sports.

SPORTC's work is carried out in close collaboration with the Swedish Olympic Committee, specialized sports federations and elite sports environments, where research is linked to practical performance development.

The research has also been highlighted in national media in connection with the Olympic preparations.

Scientific publications for the 2026 Olympics

2022

• Scientific Perspective on Reducing Ski-Snow Friction to Improve Performance in Olympic Cross-Country Skiing, the Biathlon and Nordic Combined
• Characterization of the Contact between Cross-Country Skis and Snow: A Macro-Scale Investigation of the Apparent Contact

2023

• Analysis of Sprint Ski Mountaineering Performance

• Characterization of the Contact between Cross-Country Skis and Snow: On the Multi-Scale Interaction between Ski Geometry and Ski-Base Texture
• The impact of cross-country skiers' tucking position on ski-camber profile, apparent contact area and load partitioning
• Characterization of the Contact between Cross-Country Skis and Snow: A Micro-Scale Study Considering the Ski-Base Texture
• A Novel Free-Gliding Ski Tribometer for Quantification of Ski-Snow Friction with High Precision

2024

• On Ski-Snow Contact Mechanics During the Double Poling Cycle in Cross-Country Skiing
• On the Multi-Scale Nature of Ski-Snow Friction: Field Testing, Characterization and Modelling of Cross-Country Ski Performance
• Ski-orienteering: a scientific perspective on a multi-dimensional challenge

2025

• A tribological perspective on friction and performance in Olympic snow and ice sports
• On the influence of grip wax on ski-snow friction during the double poling cycle in cross-country skiing
• On the multi-scale nature of ski-snow friction in cold conditions
• Quantifying cross-country ski-snow friction using real-time kinematic positioning
• Influence of Load and Position of Center of Mass on COF in Cross-Country Skiing

2026

• Articles appearing in the topical issue "Winter Sports Science: The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games and Beyond" in Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports:
  • Olympic Ice Sports: A Narrative Review and Perspectives Toward Milano-Cortina 2026
    
  • Endurance Training in Olympic Winter Sports: A Narrative Review of the Current Literature and Future Research Priorities
  • Mind-Muscle-Environment Interactions: Psychophysiological Determinants of Optimal Pacing in Olympic Winter Endurance Sports
  • Technology on Snow and Ice: Innovation, Monitoring, and Performance for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026
  • Olympic Snow Sports: Current Insights and Future Directions for Milano Cortina 2026 and Beyond
  • Cognitive Neuroscience in Alpine Skiing: Introducing Computational Sports Medicine for Performance Optimization
  • A High Rate of Acute Injuries in Para Alpine Skiing—A Combined Prospective Study of Injuries Reported at the Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games
• Other articles
  • Optimizing recovery strategies for winter athletes: insights for Milano-Cortina 2026
  • Perceptual consensus on cross-country ski-snow performance: a questionnaire study of experts and non-experts

SPORTC in the media

• Den sista procenten (avsnitt 4)
  TV4 (Swedish)
• Så blev tandläkaren Nazanin Emami en del av svenska succén
  Expressen (Swedish)
• Nyhetsmorgon
  TV4 (Swedish)
• LTU:s forskning bidrar till OS-framgångar för Sverige
  P4 Norrbotten (Swedish)
• Framtidens medaljer avgörs inte bara i skidspåret
  Idrottshubben (Swedish)
• Chemistry gives Winter Olympic athletes an edge on the snow and ice
  C&EN (English)
  
• The Most Dominant Winter Olympian in History
  The Wall Street Journal (English)

Related news (Swedish)

• Forskare: Framtidens vinnande idrottare förstår sig på kontakten

• Så prioriterar du som ett vallaproffs

About SPORTC

• Centre for Sport and Performance Technology