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

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

The Gangneung Oval in Pyeongchang, South Korea, is where all the speed-skating action of the 2018 Winter Olympics 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 skater’s blades. Those tight turns can result in collisions, so the cut-proof suits are true lifesavers.