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

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.