Speed skaters training at the Gangneung Oval on February 4, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea

© Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Speed skaters training at the Gangneung Oval on February 4, 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea

The Gangneung Oval in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is where all the speed-skating action of the 2018 Winter Games will happen. Long-track skaters wear spandex suits to help reduce friction and maybe skate just a bit faster as a result. But the short-track skaters at the games wear Kevlar suits to protect against cuts from other skaters’ blades. Those tight turns can result in collisions, so the cut-proof suits are true lifesavers.