Short Wave (NPR)

Episode: The Physics of the Winter Olympics

Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Regina Barber
Guest: Amy Pope (Physicist, Clemson University)
Duration: ~15 minutes

Overview

In this lively and accessible episode of Short Wave, host Regina Barber partners with physicist and Clemson University lecturer Amy Pope to break down the fundamental physics principles underlying three core Winter Olympic sports: ski mountaineering (new for 2026), ski jumping, and bobsleigh. Filled with humor, easy-to-understand analogies, and fresh Olympic anecdotes, the episode reveals how athletes leverage basic (and sometimes surprising) laws of friction, lift, and energy conservation to defy gravity and enhance performance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ski Mountaineering: Friction—Going Up & Down the Mountain

[03:51–06:32]

• Sport Introduction:
  Ski mountaineering ("ski mo") debuts at the Milan Olympics. Athletes ascend a 70-meter incline (~400 vertical stairs) before skiing back down.
• Physics Principle:
  The sport uniquely confronts friction in both directions:
  • Uphill motion requires minimizing backward slippage, achieved through "skins"—special fabric strips on ski bottoms.
  • Amy Pope:

    "As the athlete slides their ski up the incline, it's going to have a very low friction, but as they try to slide it back down, it's going to have a high friction." (04:44)

  • Analogy: Like petting a cat—smooth in one direction, resistant in the other.
• Boot Adjustment:
  At steeper gradients, athletes switch their gear from "uphill mode" (flexible) to "ski mode" (rigid) for descent.
• Significance:
  Unlike traditional gravity-driven winter sports ("every other sport uses a chair lift"), ski mountaineers must overcome gravity themselves.
  • Amy Pope:

    "You're overcoming gravity and you are utilizing that friction in a way unlike any other sport to help you get to the top." (06:17)

2. Ski Jumping: Air Resistance, Lift, and Suit Science

[06:32–11:16]

• Physics in Action:
  Ski jumping’s drama comes from "flying" off massive hills (up to 50 stories) and remaining airborne as long as possible.

  • Athletes "assume a V position," optimizing their aerodynamics by managing drag (air resistance) and achieving lift (upward force).
  • Amy Pope:

    "They're trying to minimize and maximize at the same time, their interaction with the air resistance." (07:57)

  • Regina Barber:

    "It's like they're flying." (07:02)

• Core Physics Principle:

  • Drag and lift mirror the way airplane wings work; the athlete’s form utilizes lower pressure above and higher pressure below to generate lift.
  • Amy Pope:

    "These ski jumpers are working very hard to maintain this optimal angle of attack...so that they can minimize the drag but maximize the lift." (09:13)

• Suit Controversies & Aerodynamic Advantages:
  Scandals surfaced about Norwegian jumpers adding fabric or stiffening seams in their suits to boost surface area and, thus, lift.

  • Amy Pope:

    "The lift is proportional to the surface area. So by adding in a small amount of fabric, we're actually adding in an area...the greater time they're in the air, and the further distance these athletes are going to fly." (09:56)

  • Extra seams reduce flutter, providing a more consistent area for wind, especially in the crotch area—where rules are less strict.

3. Bobsleigh: Conservation of Energy & Split-Second Races

[11:16–13:18]

• Setting the Stage:
  In bobsleigh, the transformation of potential energy (height) to kinetic energy (motion) determines performance.
  • Teams push hard at the start to maximize initial speed, giving their sleds more kinetic energy as they descend.
  • Amy Pope:

    "They have to run as fast as they possibly can...because they want to maximize their kinetic energy or the energy of motion at the top of the hill." (11:57)

• Competitive Edge:
  Even tiny differences in start speed can decide medals—races are often won or lost by hundredths of a second.
  • Olympic teams recruit sprinters to boost this launch phase.
  • Regina Barber:

    "If you have the most speed at the very top, you'll go even further. So they, like, recruit runners, right? Like Olympic track runners?" (12:46)

4. The Limits of Physics in Predicting Outcomes

[13:18–13:54]

• Complexity Beyond Formulas:
  Despite all the laws and equations, real-world detail (materials, weather, athlete skill) makes predicting winners difficult.
  • Amy Pope:

    "These are questions that I really can't answer because there are different weather conditions that go in. There are material conditions... So there are just a lot of things that I can't tell my students definitively how things are going to work out." (13:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amy Pope, on her sports physics class inspiration:

  "I realized that that's probably what most people feel whenever they listen to me explain physics." (01:20)

• On friction in ski mountaineering:

  "It's kind of like petting your cat from front to back, it's a very low friction...But you try and rake the fur in the opposite direction and you're going to have a much higher friction." (05:14)

• On ski jumpers’ technique:

  "They're closed up like a taco or flat like a pancake." (07:57)

• On the complexity of sports physics:

  "Sometimes we just oversimplify it." (13:54)

• On her science communication style:

  "We're just gossiping about physics, that's all." (14:37)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:51] — Exploring ski mountaineering and friction
• [06:32] — Aerodynamics and lift in ski jumping; suit scandals
• [11:16] — Conservation of energy in bobsleigh; value of a fast start
• [13:18] — The unpredictability of physics in sporting outcomes

Tone & Final Impressions

The episode delivers cutting-edge and classic physics concepts in a highly engaging, conversational, and sometimes humorous fashion, true to the Short Wave spirit. Both host and guest expertly balance technical explanation with approachable analogies, allowing listeners of all backgrounds to appreciate the invisible science propelling Olympic athletes to their limits.