AI Revolutionizes Training for U.S. Olympic Speedskating Team

In the world of speedskating, mere tenths of a second can decide the fate of athletes, determining whether they claim gold or miss the podium entirely. To pinpoint these crucial moments, the United States Olympic speedskating team has adopted innovative technology, abandoning conventional analytics in favor of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their aerodynamics strategy.

The team’s cutting-edge tool, known as the Slippery Fish app, has been custom-developed to harness the potential of AI in simulating complex skater aerodynamics. As preparations for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games intensify, this app symbolizes a broader trend where U.S. Olympic teams are increasingly relying on AI-powered tools to boost athlete performance.

Emery Lehman, a 29-year-old team member, commented on the revolutionary impact the app has had on their training. “Athletes previously had to travel across the country to use wind tunnels, which consumed both time and resources. Now, everything can be done through AI,” he explained, emphasizing the app’s transformative approach to optimizing athletic performance.

Lehman, an accomplished engineer and bronze medalist from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, points out that the Slippery Fish app allows for real-time analysis and improvement. He explained that by creating digital avatars from images of skaters, the application simulates how different stances influence airflow and drag, elements key to speedskating success.

In addition to facilitating rapid adjustments, the app enables Lehman and his fellow athletes to test hypotheses on the ice. “We can input postural changes into the app and quickly determine their effectiveness,” Lehman said. “Where decisions used to take weeks to validate, they can now be made in a day.”

Shane Dormer, the team’s chief of sport performance, described the AI technology as “a wind tunnel in your pocket,” highlighting the ability to make swift modifications with the involvement of athletes and coaches. The focus lies on microadjustments, such as skaters’ elbow positions and their potential impact on performance.

As the capabilities of AI continue to grow, other Olympic sports are following suit. The USA bobsled and skeleton team has established a new partnership with Snowflake, a frontrunner in AI-focused data analytics. According to Curt Tomasevicz, the director of sport performance for the bobsled team, this collaboration has immensely enhanced their understanding of athletes’ strengths and weaknesses, allowing for optimized coaching strategies.

“It may seem straightforward to load athletes into a sled,” Tomasevicz remarked, who himself secured a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The AI tool, however, delves deeper, advising on the optimal timing for athletes to board sleds based on varied conditions.

Unlike the past, where data collection was limited, today’s bobsleds capture vast amounts of data, providing thousands of data points per second via accelerometers and gyroscopes. This allows real-time analysis and feedback dissemination to pilots and coaches, facilitating immediate performance adjustments during competitions.

Mike McCarver, a principal at Snowflake, noted, “AI-powered data analytics transcends simple prompts, enabling sports teams to utilize data that was previously indigestible.” This wave of AI integration is expected to mark the 2026 Milan Cortina Games as pioneering in its significant technological involvement.

While the adoption of AI in Olympic training is still in its early stages, Dan Webb, director of performance analytics for the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, emphasized that teams are just beginning to unlock AI’s transformative potential. He noted, “We are making targeted initial investments in AI applications, but there’s a long way to go before Team USA integrates AI comprehensively.”

Speedskating’s Shane Dormer expresses optimism about the future, believing AI insights could transform this and future Olympic endeavors. “After these Games, AI’s utility will only increase,” Dormer stated. “We’ve discovered many possibilities within the software that will be enjoyable to explore post-Games.”