• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Saturday, January 28, 2023
SLC Online News
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home News Local News

Speed Skating-The Magic Touch: The Ice Maker Behind Beijing’s Olympic Records – Reuters

speed-skating-the-magic-touch:-the-ice-maker-behind-beijing’s-olympic-records-–-reuters
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

2022 Beijing Olympics – Speed Skating – Men’s 500m – National Speed Skating Oval, Beijing, China – February 12, 2022. Canadian Ice Master Mark Messer before the race. REUTERS/Susana Vera

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

BEIJING, Feb 14 (Reuters) – China’s Gao Tingyu set the eighth speed skating Olympic record at the Beijing Games on Saturday as he glided past the finish line at the ‘Ice Ribbon’ under Canadian ice maker Mark Messer’s watchful eyes.

The National Speed Skating Oval also saw a world record in the men’s 10,000m on Friday, with the new marks being set despite the venue being at a lower altitude than the likes of Calgary and Salt Lake City, where the thinner air provides less resistance for skaters. read more

“For us at sea level, to compare our times to somebody at high altitude is very difficult,” Messer told Reuters.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

“The air is much thinner. The resistance is a big piece of the puzzle so we can look at the times, and if they’re set in Salt Lake or Calgary, we don’t expect to have that time.”

But in Beijing, Irene Schouten and Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands both broke Olympic records set in Salt Lake City that had been untouched for two decades. read more

“That’s one of the reasons we’re quite proud of those. Those are 20-year records that were set at a high altitude. If we can hit those times then we know we’ve got something magical happening,” added the softspoken 61-year-old.

Making fast ice in a newly-built, low altitude rink during a pandemic was no easy task. With limited travel opportunities and unfamiliar technology, Messer had to feel his way through the process just a week before races started at his sixth Olympics.

“If we had more time before the Games we would have had done it earlier but we did not have that … we could only finetune it (as the skaters arrived),” he said at his hotel in Beijing.

“We had a small test event with some good skaters but not enough people to really give us a true reading of how the ice would be.”

Some skaters found the ice too soft after their initial training sessions at the oval, with one describing the surface as “soft and crunchy”, although they did add that it was getting better as the days went on. read more

“It’s unfortunate for the skaters because they can feel the difference of the ice changing,” Messer said.

IT’S THE SKATERS

Ice surfaces are made by layering purified water onto a concrete floor cooled to minus seven degrees until it freezes over to a thickness of some 2.5 centimetres.

At the Ice Ribbon, which is the only new venue for this Winter Games, a CO2 gas is being used as the refrigerant instead of the typical liquid freon – a first for an Olympics.

“It’s a much different system than in the past. It reacts very differently, and we’re finding a lot of great things with the CO2,” he said. “It’s great for the environment for a start, so that’s great, but it’s very responsive.”

For Messer, the Beijing Olympics will be one to remember for the unique challenges it threw at him. And despite the records tumbling, he was reluctant to take any credit for the skaters’ successes.

“What we want to do is, we want to create a surface so that the skaters can do the best and the best skater that day wins,” he said.

“So the Olympic records – yes we’re very proud of the Olympic records, we know we’re doing some good work, but ultimately, it’s the skaters.”

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Peter Rutherford

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SLC Online News

© 2021 SLC Online News

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 SLC Online News

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT