Cheating in the most-polite sport, curling and what is "sledhead?"

Summary

Up First from NPR – Episode Summary

Title: Cheating in the Most-Polite Sport, Curling, and What Is "Sledhead?"
Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Ian Martinez
Guests/Contributors: Ping Huang (NPR Sports Reporter), Ruth Sherlock (NPR International Correspondent), Emily Kwong (Short Wave Science Podcast Co-Host), Brian Mann (NPR Reporter)

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Overview

In this special edition of Up First: Winter Games, NPR dives into three major Olympic storylines: a rare and heated cheating scandal in curling, environmental concerns shadowing the “sustainable” Italian Olympics, and new scientific insights into the risks of high-speed sledding sports (bobsled, skeleton, and luge)—especially the phenomenon known as "sledhead." The episode blends breaking news, scientific reporting, and athlete stories, offering an engaging primer for listeners following the 2026 Winter Games.

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KEY DISCUSSION POINTS

1. Historic Performances & Medal Races (02:20 – 04:00)

• Norway’s Johannes Klæbo wins his fourth gold medal at these Games, becoming the most decorated Winter Olympian ever with nine golds. He’s favored to win two more.
• Brazilian skier Lucas Pinheiro Broughton wins gold in Giant Slalom, the first Winter Olympic medal ever for South America.
• Mikaela Shiffrin misses the podium, finishing 11th in women’s Giant Slalom; optimism remains for her in the upcoming slalom event (Brian Mann’s commentary).

2. Curling Cheating Scandal: Politeness Under Pressure (04:00 – 08:49)

Allegation:

• During a Canada vs. Sweden match, the Swedes accused a Canadian curler of a “double touch”—keeping his hand on the stone past the hog line, which violates curling’s rules and spirit.
• In curling, athletes are expected to call their own fouls, honoring the sport’s “spirit of curling” and high code of sportsmanship.

Escalation:

• Canadian curler Mark Kennedy responded to the accusations with an expletive on live TV, described by Ping Huang as “totally shocking” (05:25).
  • Quote: “He told them to buzz off, but in stronger words on live television. And this, in the world of curling, was totally shocking.” – Ping Huang (00:31, 05:25)
• The Canadian team claims the accusations are a tactic to distract them and suggest they're being unfairly targeted (“persecuted”).

Rules & Official Response:

• World Curling clarified: No part of the rock should be touched in forward motion after release.
• Stones have sensors in their handles; the issue was touching the stone itself after releasing the sensor.
• Officials gave Canada a warning for inappropriate language and considered (then reversed) adding more officials to monitor foul play at the hog line.
  • Quote: “World Curling did issue a clarification of the rules which said that at no point during the game should you ever be touching a rock in forward motion… you have to release it from the handle, obviously, but you should not be touching it afterwards.” – Ping Huang (06:27)
• Social media and meme culture have taken over unofficial “adjudication.”

Memorable Moment:

• The notion of ‘Canadian politeness’ is upended by the on-air expletive:
  • Quote: “Oh, and can I say just one more thing? Because it's Canada and Canadians are known around the world to be so nice. And then to see him mouth that word... Oh, I think it run a shock. Shock wave.” – Ian Martinez (08:21)

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3. Olympic Pin Trading & Jordan Stolz’s Speed Skating (08:49 – 10:30)

• Jordan Stolz wins the 500m speed skating, sets another Olympic record, with Simone Biles in attendance. He’s aiming for four golds total.

• Reporter’s Anecdote: Ping Huang procures a coveted “Snoop Dogg pin” at the Olympics, highlighting the quirky tradition of Olympic pin trading.

  • Quote (on trading pins): “Olympic pin trading is huge. It's like its own Olympic sport... I have gotten myself a Snoop Dogg pin. It's pretty awesome.” – Ping Huang (09:33)

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4. Sustainability & Environmental Impact of the Italian Olympics (10:33 – 15:45)

Broken Promises?

• Organizers promised a sustainable Olympics, showcasing Alpine ecology.
• Reality: “Conspicuously missing” snow in the Italian Alps (Cortina)––little to no natural snow; artificial snow is used exclusively.
  • Quote: “There was one thing conspicuously missing, which is snow... the only snow you could see, really, was on the pistes, and that was artificial snow.” – Ruth Sherlock (11:04)
• Massive resources are required: enough water for 380 Olympic swimming pools, drawn from local alpine rivers already stressed by climate change.

Landscapes Transformed:

• At least 98 infrastructure projects underway—many lacking full environmental assessments.

• Historic bobsled track in Cortina rebuilt instead of using existing Austrian track, leading to the felling of hundreds of old-growth larch trees.

• Local resistance: Residents fear overdevelopment and the erasure of rural landscapes, referencing the much smaller and snowier 1956 Winter Olympics.

  • Quote: “Many, many people don't want this development because they worry it's going to transform this pristine rural landscape.” – Ruth Sherlock (14:31)
  • Quote: “The price of a pretty selfie, it could be high, right?” – Ian Martinez (15:37)

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5. The Science & Risks of "Sledhead" in Sledding Sports (15:46 – 23:00)

What is Sledhead?

• Sledhead refers to a cluster of symptoms experienced by athletes in bobsled, luge, and skeleton: dizziness, exhaustion, cognitive issues, stress intolerance, and more, resulting from long-term exposure to vibration and high G-forces—not from crashes.
  • Quote: “The umbrella term of sled head describes a wide range of symptoms. Every case is different, but on the list is dizziness, exhaustion, nausea... cognitive problems, forgetfulness, emotional dysregulation issues.” – Emily Kwong (16:59)

Why Are G-Forces So Dangerous?

• Bobsledders can experience up to 5Gs (five times the force of gravity) on each high-speed run, with repeated exposure multiplying the risk.
• These impacts can cause the brain and brainstem to move inside the skull, risking long-term, sometimes invisible, injury—even when there are no concussions.
  • Quote: “Even a slight impact on the wall could cause the brain to move within the skull. And no helmet is going to protect you from that.” – Emily Kwong (18:58/19:00)

Sub-Concussive Trauma & Cultural Barriers

• The phenomenon is often under-recognized, as symptoms don’t always manifest as full concussions but as “sub-concussive impacts.”
• Athletes often push through symptoms; some required to retire early due to brain health.
  • Quote: “She said, 'I loved the sport, but the sport did not love me,' and it inspired her to become a doctor... She rehabilitates them and she says it's totally possible if sled head is caught and taken seriously early.” – Emily Kwong (21:15)

Calls for Change:

• Scientists and former athletes call for helmet sensors to monitor G-force exposure and urge a culture shift so long-term brain health is prioritized over short-term performance and Olympic glory.
  • Quote: “Unless there's some kind of regulatory change or culture change within the sliding sports, sledhead is just going to continue.” – Emily Kwong (22:34)

Comparisons to NFL & CTE:

• The bobsled/sledding community could learn from NFL’s response to concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), but sled head represents a different and even less-understood threat.

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NOTABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• On Curling’s “Scandal”:

  • “He told them to buzz off, but in stronger words on live television. And this, in the world of curling, was totally shocking.” - Ping Huang (00:31, 05:25)
  • “Oh, and can I say just one more thing? Because it's Canada and Canadians are known around the world to be so nice. And then to see him mouth that word... Oh, I think it run a shock. Shock wave.” – Ian Martinez (08:21)

• On the Impact of the Olympics on Alpine Towns:

  • “Many, many people don't want this development because they worry it's going to transform this pristine rural landscape.” – Ruth Sherlock (14:31)
  • “The price of a pretty selfie, it could be high, right?” – Ian Martinez (15:37)

• On Sledhead:

  • “The umbrella term of sled head describes a wide range of symptoms... what's so interesting to me about sledhead is the culprit is not a crash. It's not anything dramatic. It's just the routine vibrational exposure and high G forces that these athletes are experiencing.” – Emily Kwong (16:59)

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TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

• Main Olympic Updates: 02:20 – 04:00
• Curling Cheating Scandal: 04:00 – 08:49
• Jordan Stolz & Olympic Pin Trading: 08:49 – 10:30
• Sustainability & Alps Environmental Impact: 10:33 – 15:45
• Science of Sledhead / Brain Risks in Sledding: 15:46 – 23:00

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TONE & STYLE

The episode maintains NPR’s informative but conversational tone, combining journalistic rigor with humor, athlete anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes Olympic flavor. Segments move quickly, reflecting the “Up First” ethos: energetic, engaging, and packed with content for listeners on the go.

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Summary Takeaway

This Up First special gives listeners a genuine, on-the-ground feel for the high drama, controversies, and hidden dangers of the 2026 Winter Olympics—covering everything from unlikely rule violations in curling (the “polite sport”) to the invisible, accumulating health toll of sledding sports. It balances the celebratory tone of Olympic achievement with serious questions about sports ethics, environmental stewardship, and athlete safety in a changing climate.

Transcript

[Ian Martinez]

This is a special edition of Up First. We have our gold medal team in Italy and they're here to talk about the big storylines. You'll hear about the big names such as Mikayla Shifrin and Jordan Stoles in all things Team usa. I'm Ian Martinez and you're listening to an audio sneak peek of Up First Winter Games, a new video podcast from NPR during the Olympics. New episodes will post throughout the [e-mail] NPR. Stay with us for a preview of the show the curling cheating scandal that's rocking the Olympics.

[Ping Huang]

He told them to buzz off, but in stronger words on live television. And this, in the world of curling was totally shocking.

[Ian Martinez]

Why? This isn't the first time Canada's curling team has been accused of cheating. Plus, Olympic organizers on thin ice. They promised a sustainable Winter Games, but did they live up to that pledge? NPR's Ruth Sherlock will have that story. And have you heard of the term sled head?

[Emily Kwong]

Even a slight impact on the wall could cause the brain to move within the skull.

[Ian Martinez]

Move within the skull and no helmet.

[Emily Kwong]

Is going to protect you from that.

[Ian Martinez]

We'll talk about the risk to the brain athletes face when competing in high speed sledding events. I'm Ian Martinez and this is Up First Winter.

[Emily Kwong]

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[Ian Martinez]

Bad Bunny gave one of the greatest super bowl halftime performances of all time. We'll tell you why and what this performance means at this particular political moment. Listen to a recap on pop culture happy hour via the NPR or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Emily Kwong]

What allows Olympic figure skaters to land a jump on ice that most of us couldn't land on solid ground? And how do snowboarders defy gravity? Maybe even better than Cynthia Erivo. Come learn the science that allows Olympic athletes to push the boundaries of what the human body is capable of with shortwave. Listen in the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ian Martinez]

It's Monday, February 16, and here's what you need to know. Norway's Johannes Klabow won his fourth gold medal these Games, making him the most decorated winner Olympian of all time. The cross country star now has a total of nine career Olympic gold medals and his win on Sunday cements his place as one of the most dominant skiers the sport has ever seen. And get this, he may not be done yet. The 29 year old still has two more events where he's the favorite for the top spot. Speaking of gold, medals, medals and history, Brazilian skier Lucas Pinero Broughton took home gold in the men's giant slalom, marking the first winner Olympic medal ever for South America. And the Olympic drought continues for Mikaela Shifrin as she failed to make the podium in the women's giant slalom on Sunday, finishing 11th. Italy's Federica Brigioni took home her second gold of the games. NPR's Brian Mann was there and has more on Shifrin's performance and what she said after the race. This is definitely not that big dramatic comeback moment. The Giant Solemn is not her best event. She was injured in this event a couple of years ago. That said, as she came by and talked with us, she looked incredibly upbeat, incredibly positive. She said she was really hopeful that she was within touching distance of the leaders. And so she's got one more event here, the slalom, which is her big race. That's going to come on Wednesday. This is her chance to bring home a medal of some kind for the US we'll see if that can happen. Normally, curling has a reputation for being one of the more, shall we say, polite sports at the Olympics. But now an alleged cheating scandal is rocking the Olympic curling world, and things have gotten pretty heated between the men's Canadian and Swedish teams. NPR's Ping Huang has more on. To touch or not to touch. What is happening, Ping?

[Ping Huang]

All right. A so in curling, players throw a rock down a sheet of ice and. And you have to release it before it gets to something called the hogline. If you don't release it before then it gets disqualified. It gets burned. You're supposed to take it out of play. Now, the controversy here is over the allegation of a double touch. In a match. On Friday, the Swedes accused the Canadian player of touching the stone after he released it, keeping his finger on the stone as it crossed the hogline, which is a big no in curling.

[Ian Martinez]

Okay. Yeah. So why does that matter? Why does this double touch matter so much?

[Ping Huang]

Okay, so there's two things about the situation. A, number one is the allegation itself, and number two is how the Canadians responded. So for some context, as you mentioned, curling is a super polite sport. There is something called the spirit of curling, which is like their code of ethics. It's all about good sportsmanship. And one critical part of that is that if you have a violation, you need to call it yourself. You call your own fouls. So if a stone gets touched by anything after it crosses a hogline by a hand, a foot, a broom, and you're supposed to call it on your own. You're supposed to call a violation and take it out of play. In this case, the Swede said that the Canadian player had touched the stone beyond the hogline and that he'd done it not just once, but several times over the course of the game.

[Ian Martinez]

Okay, so what's been Canada's response?

[Ping Huang]

Okay, so the Canadians denied it, and then it got super heated. So Canadian curler Mark Kennedy hurled an expletive at the swedes between the ninth and the 10th inning. He told them to buzz off, but in stronger words on live television. And this, in the world of curling, was totally shocking because, as you mentioned, it's a very polite sport. It's usually polite, wholesome, very family friendly.

[Ian Martinez]

So it's been a few days. I mean, what does Team Canada say about all this?

[Ping Huang]

So Canada says that this was a strategy to get them off their game, and they have suggested that they continue to be persecuted. So on Saturday, Canada's women's team got a rock pulled for the same exact reason. And their skip, Rachel Homan, said that they might be getting targeted for having the maple leaf on their backs.

[Ian Martinez]

I gotta admit, Bing, I've watched this highlight over and over again at least 20, 30 times. He has his hand on the handle and then maybe drags his hand on the rest of it before doing the little touch. I mean, I guess, is that allowed? Or what are we actually kind of discussing here?

[Ping Huang]

So, a. I think the problem is that he was touching any part of the rock at all as it was passing the hog line. That was like the main violation. You know, his finger was hold. Was still held on the line according to the Swedes. Not according to Canada, but according to the Swedes, as it crossed that green line that you see on the screen. And I will say also that after this, World Curling did issue a clarification of the rules which said that at no point during the game should you ever be touching a rock in forward motion. You know, you have to release it from the handle, obviously, but you should not be touching it afterwards. So that was a clarification that they made after this whole scandal started.

[Ian Martinez]

And the handle has a sensor, right? So, I mean, everyone would know once he lets it go.

[Ping Huang]

Yeah, absolutely right. Like, if he had been holding the sensor when it crossed the hog line, it would have gone off and the stone would have been automatically disqualified. But the issue here was that he let go of the sensor and was touching the stone as it crossed the hogline, according to the allegations here and maybe, you know, maybe our own eyes.

[Ian Martinez]

I'm going to watch it probably 50 more times before the Olympics is over.

[Ping Huang]

Maybe you can figure this out. A you and all the Internet.

[Ian Martinez]

I'll come down with my own ruling and everyone will have to live with it. Okay, Olympic officials, what have they said?

[Ping Huang]

Okay, so they have responded. They said that they didn't see it happen during the match. They couldn't call a violation. They don't use video replays, so they're not going to go back and re adjudicate it. But on Saturday, the world curling officials said that they had issued a warning to Canada for inappropriate language because of the swears that had gone through. And they also said that going forward that they were going to be putting more officials into the game to watch the hogline as people were throwing their rocks. Now, another twist in this was that just yesterday they said, never mind, we're not going to do that. We talked with the teams and decided that the officials will be hanging around, but they're only going to be observing when they're invited to or when asked. So that's the latest on this. But that has not stopped the entire Internet from stepping in to adjudicate this. And I have to say, the memes have been amazing.

[Ian Martinez]

Oh, and can I say just one more thing? Because it's Canada and Canadians are known around the world to be so nice. And then to see him mouth that word. Oh, I think it run a shock. Shock wave.

[Ping Huang]

Yeah, absolutely. And another thing a is that like everyone says that the Canadians are really, really good at curling. Like they don't need to be cheating or even they shouldn't have the wisp of cheating anywhere near them. They're already so good. So, yeah, it's been a shock to the curling world for sure.

[Ian Martinez]

All right, now you're also covering speed skating, and this is one of my favorite sports. I love speedsters. Tell us what's going on with American Jordan Stoles, because he is absolutely killing it there.

[Ping Huang]

Yeah, he is completely on fire. A it's been amazing. I watched his second of four races this weekend and he came in first in the 500 meters. He set another Olympic record, his second at these Olympics, and he did it with Simone Biles watching the stands. So it has been amazing. He is now halfway to his goal of getting four gold medals at these Olympics. And you know, he said that he was happy with the results after, but he also said that he was already looking forward to his next race, which is the 1500 meters on Thursday.

[Ian Martinez]

All right, now, before I let you go, Ping, I heard that you actually struck a little gold.

[Ping Huang]

Yes. Thank you for letting me brag about this. So I have gotten for myself the gold medal of pins here. I have gotten myself a Snoop Dogg pin. And this was the situation of being in the right place at the right time. So for a little context here, Olympic pin trading is huge. It's like its own Olympic sport, and it's something that both attendees and athletes are very fervent about doing on Sunday. Yesterday, I was on my way to the mix zone after the women's 500 meters. I was going to talk to some speed skaters after their race, and I happened to be out in the mix zone at the same time that Snoop Dogg and his entourage were leaving. He was, like, I don't know, like 10ft ahead of me. I took a very blurry photo, but, you know, someone in the back of his entourage looked over at me, saw my NPR sweater. I don't know if that was what did it or not, but she handed me his pin, and now I have a Snoop Dogg pin. It's pretty awesome.

[Ian Martinez]

So no gin and juice, but pin and juice. I'm.

[Ping Huang]

I'm trying.

[Ian Martinez]

I know.

[Ping Huang]

I'm here for it. A. Yeah.

[Ian Martinez]

That's NPR's Ping Huang. Thanks a lot.

[Ping Huang]

Thank you.

[Ian Martinez]

Well, in Italy's bid to host the Olympics, which is taking place in Milan and in towns across the Italian Alps, organizers promised that it would be an environmentally sustainable Olympics. In fact, they said they would actually use these games to highlight the importance of the sensitive Alpine mountain ecosystem and actually showcase how to protect it. But environmental groups are telling a different story, and NPR's Ruth Sherlock is here to discuss. So, Ruth, you visited the town of Cornwall. That's one of the main places where the Olympics is being held. Environmental activists are a little worried. Why?

[Ruth Sherlock]

Well, for many reasons, but one was that, you know, when we visited, the stands were being set up for the audience to watch the world's top skiers. But there was one thing conspicuously missing, which is snow. You know, the mountain peaks were bare. There was just yellow grass, and the only snow you could see, really, was on the pistes, and that was artificial snow. You know, the snowfall is getting less and less with climate change, with these shorter winters, and environmentalists say it's going to take huge amounts of energy and water to have this much artificial snow. In fact, official documents show they were estimating that for these Olympics, they may need as much as 380 Olympic swimming pools worth. Yeah.

[Ian Martinez]

Wow. And you know, it's funny because I've had friends of mine that love traveling the world looking for snow to ski on. They've been saying for years that snow is getting harder to find. Now, that amount of water, Ruth, that you mentioned, where are they getting it?

[Ruth Sherlock]

Well, this is the thing. They're having to take it from alpine springs and rivers in the area. An environmental activist took me to see one of the sites that they're drawing the water from. And it was this once pristine landscape just kind of turned into a building site. There was bits of broken pipes and huge mounds of earth and trees cut down. And they are taking gallons and gallons per second. And the problem is, you know, what is the impact on local biodiversity, on the local ecology? These rivers are already stressed by climate change and human use. And the thing is, we don't know because the in depth environmental assessment hasn't been done. In fact, that's the case a for about 60% of the some 98 infrastructure projects that have been approved for these games.

[Ian Martinez]

Yeah, 98. So close to 100. It sounds like a lot. And that's the thing with the Olympics. I mean, it does leave a big footprint. But when it comes to the landscape of this place, how is the Olympics changing the landscape?

[Ruth Sherlock]

Well, you know, Cortina is this traditionally tiny town, this jewel in the beautiful Dolomites, this UNESCO World Heritage Site. And when I was there, I counted about 20 cranes for different construction projects. So it will have an impact. The organizers had tried to say, you know, that they were going to try to use existing sporting equipment, existing arenas, existing sporting spaces so that they don't have to rebuild them. And that is the case, actually. They've managed to kind of use existing structures in most cases. But one of the most controversial points is about the bobsleigh track in Cortina. There was hopes initially that they would use the bobsleigh track in Innsbruck in nearby Austria. But Matteo Salvini, Italy's deputy prime minister, he intervened and said, no, it's a point of national pride that we have this sport in Italy. And so they had to kind of completely redo the bobsleigh track in Cortina. And that resulted in hundreds of of larch trees being cut down from this old growth forest and it now dominates the landscape. And, you know, some of these infrastructure projects actually won't be finished for the Games. They were approved as part of a sort of local development and it's going to go on for years. It involves New roads and even tunnels through the mountainside.

[Ian Martinez]

These projects, though, they are always sold as the benefit for the local area once the Olympics leave. And that'll be something that they can leave behind. But I mean, that sounds like it's going to be the legacy, these Games, for better or worse.

[Ruth Sherlock]

You know, that is certainly the hope to kind of drive more economic development in these rural areas. But, you know, I spoke with the local councillor who's the head of the opposition in the local council there, and she said many, many people don't want this development because they worry it's going to transform this pristine rural landscape. In fact, you know, she said The Olympics in 1956, the last time they were held in Cortina, the climatic conditions were right. They even had one of the ice skating events on a frozen over lake. But here we are having to kind of try to recreate the conditions with artificial snow. And then also back then, there was room for development, for people to come to Cortina, but now the place is inundated with tourists already. On one single day, you can get like 3,000 people coming to this one lake for selfies because these places have been promoted on social media. And it's just, you know, she says maybe because of climate change, because of this over tourism, now isn't really the time to drive development to this area.

[Ian Martinez]

Wow. The price of a pretty selfie, it could be high, right? That's NPR international correspondent Ruth Sherlock. Ruth, thanks a lot.

[Ruth Sherlock]

Thank you very much.

[Ian Martinez]

If you've ever seen the movie Cool Runnings, you know, one of the major risks of sliding down the ice in a bobsled is crashing. These athletes are racing over 80, sometimes 90 miles, miles an hour. And a crash is brutal on the body and brain. But there's a lesser known risk that's catching the attention of scientists, and that is the phenomenon known as sled head. Here's my conversation with Emily Kwong, co host of NPR's science podcast short Wave. All right, so Emily, besides bobsled, tell us about some of the other sliding sports.

[Emily Kwong]

Okay, so you got luge. That's where athletes are lying on their backs and initiating those turns with their very strong calves. And. And then there's skeleton, which I think has the coolest helmet in the Olympics because those athletes are racing head first.

[Ian Martinez]

Oh, they are. Very nice.

[Emily Kwong]

Yeah.

[Ian Martinez]

Wow. Very arty.

[Emily Kwong]

Uh huh.

[Ian Martinez]

Very colorful as well. Yeah. So, and you mentioned aerodynamic. Right.

[Emily Kwong]

The helmets are definitely aimed to get that racer to get the athlete going as fast as possible. Cool as this looks, this sport all these sports, they come with broken bones, they come with concussions, and one of the lesser known ailments, sled head.

[Ian Martinez]

Sled head. I know what a deadhead is. Someone that travels around with the Grateful Dead. But what's sledhead?

[Emily Kwong]

Wow. My dad would really appreciate that joke. The umbrella term of sled head describes a wide range of symptoms. Every case is different, but on the list is dizziness, exhaustion, nausea, discomfort with bright lights or loud noises. Some people talk about cognitive problems, forgetfulness, emotional dysregulation issues. But what's so interesting to me about sledhead is the culprit is not a crash. It's not anything dramatic. It's just the routine vibrational exposure and high G forces that these athletes are experiencing. Yeah.

[Ian Martinez]

So if someone's seen Top Gun, they might remember what G forces are. Yes, but remind anyone that hasn't.

[Emily Kwong]

Yeah. So G force is just the force felt by the body due to acceleration. So for you and me just chilling in these office chairs, we feel.

[Ian Martinez]

We have. We feel G forces.

[Emily Kwong]

We have GS right now. Oh, we're pulling bad GS. One G. One G. That is. Yeah, that's the force of gravity.

[Ian Martinez]

Okay.

[Emily Kwong]

But think about being in a car going around a tight turn. The forces are more intense than that of Earth's gravity. You may even get up to two GS. And for these bobsledders, they are experiencing up to five GS. It's like being on a massive rollercoaster.

[Ian Martinez]

That's like just squishing your face.

[Ping Huang]

Right.

[Ian Martinez]

I mean, that's what that is. Right.

[Emily Kwong]

It's intense. In fact, I want to show you a clip from the IBSF World cup just a few weeks ago. This is the German team. So they're super fast, and it's easy to just watch the speed, the athleticism. But think about the acceleration they're experiencing on those turns.

[Ping Huang]

Oof.

[Emily Kwong]

Their brains are, like, going in multiple directions as they're being whipped around the track. And, I mean, this is not a smooth ride. I know that the ice looks kind of smooth to us at home, but it's bumpy. And the concern is, even a slight impact on the wall could cause the brain to move within the skull.

[Ian Martinez]

Move within the skull.

[Emily Kwong]

And no helmet is going to protect you from that. No helmet's going to protect you from that. So the concern for Peter McCarthy, he is a neurophysiologist at the University of South Wales, is what happens when the soft tissue of the brain moves in one direction and the skull moves in the other direction, there's also of course, the issue of nerve tissue stretching. And it's not just your brain, it's your brain stem, which connects your brain to your spinal cord. That's kind important for your whole nervous system. So all these impacts, they add up.

[Ian Martinez]

They add up. Okay, so how do they add up?

[Emily Kwong]

Well, think about the fact that these athletes, when they are training, they are doing these runs multiple times a day. They're competitive, they want to get as good as possible, they want to practice. And if they have a high G force run, which by the way, the sport wouldn't be monitoring for, no one's tracking G forces on the track. So they're getting exposure to these forces. Maybe they don't know, maybe they have some sled head, but they're like, I'm going to keep going if their coaches don't pull them. And they're not recovering from those races. The concern for scientists is that the accumulated trauma can create long term damage. And this is creating a real conversation in the sliding sports because over the last 15 years there have been a number of high profile suicides and drug overdoses from retired athletes, some of whom have had brain health issues. So the question is, how can we make the sport maybe safer when the brain federations that oversee it, they're looking out for concussions for sure. But are they monitoring sled head in the same way?

[Ian Martinez]

But is it. Wait, okay, so why wouldn't it be the same thing? Sled head and concussions?

[Emily Kwong]

Yes. Okay. This is the number one mystery for me. Working on this story, I found a neuropsychologist named Aliyah Snyder who used to be a skeleton athlete. And she's made it her mission to work with athletes on issues like this. She treats athletes for sled head and what she says it is is sub concussive impacts.

[Ian Martinez]

Sub concussive.

[Emily Kwong]

I know we're getting real doctor here. Those are hits that don't lead to brain damage outright, but maybe create gradual wear and tear on the brain and the nervous system. And the concern for her is that over time it prevents your body from tolerating the stress of the sled and can create exponential damage down the line.

[Ian Martinez]

So that sounds like it could be a career ender for people.

[Emily Kwong]

It was for Aaliyah. She had to medically retire after just two years of competing. And she loved it. She used to be a sailor. She loved the speed of skeleton. It felt very right to her, but her brain couldn't tolerate it. She said, I loved the sport, but the sport did not love me and it inspired her to become a doctor. So that's pretty cool. Now she basically treats athletes for their sled head. She rehabilitates them and she says it's totally possible if Sledhead is caught and taken seriously early.

[Ian Martinez]

So wait, taking serious? So why wouldn't that be taken seriously?

[Emily Kwong]

Well, I think what might need to happen is culture change within the sport. The governing bodies for the sport are aware of sled head. There's been press coverage of it. And in fact, the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton association, last I heard, has a study that they're doing right now involving concussion and. Concussion and concussive leg symptoms. That's a step in the right direction. But maybe the sport needs to change. You know, Peter McCarthy says we could attach sensors on the helmets that would allow us to know the G force exposure of these athletes. We've seen again and again in these games. A that athletes will happily compete injured if glory or money or fame or their lifelong dream is on the line. So unless there's some kind of regulatory change or culture change within the sliding sports, sledhead is just going to continue.

[Ian Martinez]

Well, the NFL actually has made some strides a little bit on concussions. So with cte. With cte, right.

[Emily Kwong]

Yes, that's the degenerative brain disease. It's different than what we're talking about, but it's the same kind of internal recognition within the sport that that is what drew my attention to this story and I think the scientists to this very under researched topic. Sluthead.

[Ian Martinez]

NPR's Emily Kwong. She co hosts NPR's science podcast, Short Wave. Emily, thanks.

[Emily Kwong]

Thank you so much.

[Ian Martinez]

A I'm Amy Martinez and that's a special audio preview of UPVERSE Winter Games. If you're an Olympics fan like me, and I know that you are, you can catch the team on video every afternoon on NPR's YouTube page. That's YouTube.com NPR. And don't forget to smash those like and subscribe buttons. Today's special episode of up first was edited by Eric Whitney. Our visual editors include Nicole Werbeck, Elizabeth Gilliss, Grace Raver and Pablo Valdivia. It was produced by Lauren Migaki, Brianna Scott, Ana Perez, Barry Gordimer and Elizabeth Baker. We get engineering support from Jay Siz and the Huether, Becky Brown and Josephine Nyonai. Our executive producers are Adam Verdugo, Jay Shaler and Samantha Melbourne Weaver.

[Emily Kwong]

Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to up first sponsor free through Amazon Music or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get up first [e-mail] that's plus.npr.org.

[Ping Huang]

On NPR's wildcard podcast, Oscar nominee Wagner Mora on keeping his values on his path to success.

[Ian Martinez]

There were moments where I was like, oh, I really need that money, man. Right? You know, But I'm like, I can't do this. I can't do that because otherwise I'll be miserable.

[Ping Huang]

Watch or listen to that wildcard conversation on the NPR app or on YouTube.

[Ian Martinez]

PRWildcard I'm Jesse Thorne on Bullseye. Yahya Abdul Mateen II and the most surprising thing he learned after receiving one of the highest honors in acting. I'm so grateful that it happened at that time because it did not make me happy at all. We'll get into that and his many roles playing various superheroes and villains. That's Bullseye. Find us in the NPR [e-mail] or wherever you get your podcasts.