The Influence of Polymers on Athletics in Winter Olympics

. Nowadays, polymers play a crucial role in the Winter Olympics, from the equipment used by athletes to the infrastructure of the event. Skis, snowboards, and ice skates are all made from advanced polymer materials that offer high strength. These materials are also designed to withstand extreme temperatures and harsh weather conditions, making them ideal for winter sports. In addition, polymers provide excellent insulation and can withstand the weight and pressure of heavy equipment and crowds. Furthermore, polymers are used in the production of clothing and protective gear for athletes, such as helmet, goggles, and gloves. These materials offer superior performance, comfort, and protection against impact and injury. In summary, polymers have revolutionized the Winter Olympics by providing athletes with the equipment and infrastructure necessary to compete at the highest level. This paper gives information about what are the polymers materials which used in the Winter Olympics and how they can apply in the different fields of the sports


Introduction
The Winter Olympics is a quadrennial global sporting event that showcases the world's best athletes competing in various winter sports.The event features a wide range of sports, including skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, bobsledding, and many more.Many factors contribute to the success of athletes in the Winter Olympics, including their physical condition, training, nutrition, and equipment.
Athletes at the Winter Olympics must be able to reach their full physical and mental capacities in order to achieve excellent results.Especially in cold condition, the facilities and equipment used in competitions are critical for athletes to maximize their physical potential and to reduce sports injuries.
The use of polymers in winter sports is a critical subject that is often overlooked.Polymers, which are composed of macromolecules and have characteristics like as light weight, strong mechanical capabilities, high corrosion resistance, tremendous design freedom, and shape ability, are commonly used in athletics [1].This study evaluates the advantages of polymer materials applications in Winter Olympic and outlines the types and features of polymer materials employed in various Winter Olympic sports.
The influence of polymers on athletics in the Winter Olympics is significant.They have revolutionized the way athletes compete, enabling them to perform at higher levels and achieve greater success.Polymers have been used in the design of skis, snowboards, and other equipment to improve their performance, durability, and safety.Experts have successfully produced new skis with high strength, high impact strength, and high bending strength in recent years, employing polyamide fibers and carbon fiber epoxy compounds as the principal ingredients and extrusion and fiber winding methods [2].
In addition, polymers have also been used in the design of clothing and protective gear for winter sports.They are often used in the production of thermal insulation materials, which help keep athletes warm and dry in cold and wet conditions.Some of the polymers have a very clever thermal shape memory function, easy temperature control, coloration, and are lightweight and inexpensive [3].
Overall, the influence of polymers on athletics in the Winter Olympics is undeniable.Their special qualities and adaptability have allowed athletes to push the limits of what is possible, and they will keep playing a big part in the advancement of winter sports clothing in the future.

Polycarbonate
A polymer with a carbonate group in its molecular chain is known as polycarbonate [4].Polycarbonates are an intriguing and economically successful polymer class, which are known for their valuable characteristics, such as excellent optical properties, impact resistance, thermal insulation, lightness, flame retadancy, sound insulation, creep resistance, fatigue resistance, dimensional stability, and electrical properties, continue to stimulate academic interest while also finding new industrial applications [4].It is extensively utilized in automotive and aviation transparent materials.High impact resistance polycarbonate, for example, is often used in military protective goggles, with good visual clarity, anti-fogging effect, and UV-blocking function, can temper the impact of scattered bullets and shrapnel [4].It has a wide range of uses in several families of formulation.For optical or glass replacements, clear, transparent grades are favoured.Opaque or highly coloured grades are commonly used in business machines, sporting products, and other items.For high modulus applications, many filled or reinforced grades are used [5].

2.2
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer ABS is composed mainly of three monomer units: acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene [6].The relative quantities of the three monomers can be changed, and therefore a wide range of resins can be produced.ABS has remarkable mechanical properties, with high impact resistance, which is unaffected by low temperature; and very good electrical insulation, which is not affected by temperature, humidity, and frequency [6].It also has numerous useful qualitiess, such as thermal resistance, light weight, easy formability, reflectivity, etc.With all of these characteristics, it has continued opening up new applications [6].
ABS has a variety of applications in daily lives.Some of the most popular uses are sporting items, helmets, household appliances, phone switchboard panels, and technological equipment.It is also widely applied in building materials, as it can be used in most environments.Furthermore, due to its smooth surface, ABS has found widespread use in the automotive industry.ABS has gained prominence as a polymeric monoflament in 3D printing technology in recent years [7].

Polyurethane
Polyurethane is a polymer material appears in different forms.Polyurethanes may be made from a diverse variety of polymers and isocyanates, allowing for the creation of a diversified range of items of different quality.Polyurethanes are distinguished by their ease of modification and customization, which enables producers to create polyurethanes for a wide range of uses simply by altering the polymers or isocyanates [8].When it comes to material applications, polyurethanes are practically a wonder material.They blend metal ' s hardness and plastic's stiffness, with rubber's flexibility.Polyurethane has surpassed metals and plastics in many applications because it is as robust being as rigid as a metallic substance and as flexible as rubber [8].Polyurethane has played a key role in the creation of coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, foams, textiles, cars, and the maritime sector.It also has lately Finding use in the biomedical industry [8].In sports, it is applied in the paving of running tracks, indoor basketball and volleyball court.

Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP)
FRP composite materials are heterogeneous and anisotropic, and they do not deform plastically [9].Winding, molding, or projecting a reinforced fiber material into a base material produces FRPs.FRP has tensile strengths that are 2 to 10 times greater than ordinary steel.They are simply developed and processed [8].They a variety of modern uses, such as the production of sporting equipment, automobiles, boats, and space and aviation equipment [9].
CFRP materials are composite materials made by reinforcing carbon fibers or carbon fiber textiles with resins, ceramics, metals, cement, carbonaceous or rubber as the matrix.CFRP ' s specific gravity is much lower than metals.They are only a quarter of the weight of regular steel, while being many times stronger.They also exhibit exceptional thermal and chemical stability [10]

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)
. Due to their greater impact resistance and damage tolerance, as well as their enhanced manufacturability over unidirectional laminates, CFRP laminates, the woven composites, are becoming more and more popularly used in space and vehicle [11].
CFRP composites have long been in favour in the aerospace and aviation industries.Because of its excellent properties: CFRP composite constituents are being employed in a growing number of aircraft components due to their high strength and stiffness, low weight, and great fatigue resistance.These applications may comprise both small components such as doors and clips as well as major components such as wing flaps and the main body [9].
Because of its light weight, high strength, high modulus, high fatigue resistance, strong vibration dampening and energy absorption, great design flexibility, and ease of processing and molding, it is ideal for composites.CFRP is an ideal material for sports equipment [12].These material properties improve performance, allowing athletes to compete at a greater level while exerting less effort and fatigue [11].Due to developments in manufacturing processes and cost reduction, CFRP composites are now widely used in sporting equipment [11].
Aramid is a fiber spun from aromatic polyurethane, with the aromatic ring or its derivatives as the main structure in its molecular formula [13].Because of the homogeneous distribution of hydrogen bonds between molecular chains and the stacking contact of intermolecular benzene rings, this material possesses a high strength and hardness.However, because the molecular chain is tightly aligned along the fiber axis and the surface is smooth and inert, it is difficult to dissolve in common organic solvents [14].Because of its high strength, modulus, high temperature resistance, insulation, and flame retardants, as well as its remarkable protective properties, aramid is used in the research an manufacture of protective gear.It is utilized in aircraft, sports, and the military [13].

Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) film
A transparent film material made of ETFE lacks a fabric substrate.Because of its exceptional chemical, thermal, and electrical qualities, ETFE has received a lot of attention recently.This is because ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) are used to make a copolymer called ETFE, and it possesses the advantages of both polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyethylene (PE) [15][16][17].Its elongation rate can reach 420% to 440%, and it is the strongest fluorine-based plastic.It retains the good heat and chemical resistance and electrical insulation of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), while its tensile strength is 50 MPa, nearly twice that of PTFE, and with better radiation resistance and mechanical properties compare to PTFE.It also has outstanding thermal properties and light transmission.The permissible temperature range of its long-term use is -200~150 °C, with a service life up to 20 years.ETFE foil may be used to build structures in single or multi-layer configurations because to its transparency, low weight, and durability [17].ETFE foil is frequently used in the shape of a cushion when it is used as a structural component.A cushion is made up of two or more layers of ETFE foil, an enclosing framework, and compressed air in the spaces between the layers.Wide-ranging uses for these ETFE cushion constructions include greenhouse roofs or facades, stadiums, gymnasiums, exhibition halls, and more.The ETFE cushion has more recently been employed in the development of integrated solar systems [17].

Sports equipment
The equipment is critical in all types of winter sports.They are required to keep the athlete safe and comfortable in bad weather conditions.A particular mode of mobility is made possible by the bulk of winter sports equipment: gliding over snow or ice.Compared to other forms of human motion, such as walking or running, gliding allows for faster speeds.Thus, the equipment is what makes the majority of winter sports so exciting and energetic.There has been and will continue to be a lot of research done in order to improve the security and effectiveness of athletes participating in winter sports with better-designed equipment [18].
In short-track speed skating, athletes need to skate at a very high speed in a relatively short distance.Due to the high injury rate in this competition, the International Skating Union had obliged all athletes to wear cutresistant clothing to protect themselves from July 1

Speed skating uniforms
, 2003.Athletes' suits made of textile composites like aramid are puncture and cut resistant, thus can lower the chance of injury during competition [14].A honeycomb polyurethane material is used in the hand and foot areas of the speed skating suits, in order to reduce air resistance therefore maximize performance.
Hot melt prepreg or autoclave molding processes are used to make bobsleds.FRP replaces the original metal parts in bobsleds, not only reduces its weight, but also reduces collision, vibration, noise, and friction while it is in use.The use of FRP enhances the products ' fatigue resistance, therefore lengthens their service life.CFRPbased bobsled hulls are built by weaving CFRP monofilaments, with a diameter one-tenth that of a human hair, making it lightweight, thin, soft and ductile The development of novel components and styles that enhance the functionality, safety, and comfort of ski boots has been made possible over the past several decades by research in the field of plastic materials as well as the optimization of new software for the design of sporting goods [19].A number of materials are used to make ski boots.In certain cases, the material is chosen for both practical and aesthetically pleasing purposes.all materials must meet the following fundamental requirements: Be resistant to low-temperature impacts; possess long-term resistance to hydrolysis, UV aging, and heat; After flexing, the body must return to its previous position; Have the best viscoelastic properties for progressive flex and optimal rebound; Avoid scratching and punching; At low temperatures, the material should not stiffen excessively

Ski boots
. Density, transparency, and dye-ability are among key criteria to consider when selecting acceptable materials.As a result, the "ideal" plastic for ski boots should be lightweight, have excellent viscoelastic characteristics, be impact and they are resistant to deterioration and maintain their ideal characteristics across the broadest temperature range.No single piece of content perfectly fits the aforementioned requirements and outperforms the others in every manner [17].Typical ski boots are made up of a chemical fiber fabric and insulation inner layer, and a non-deformable outer layer [18] Manufacturers of ski boots claim that thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), polyolefin copolymers, polyamide (Nylon), and polyamide-polyether block copolymers (Pebax) are the main materials used in ski boots [17].
Ski athletes need to select comfortable, well-fitted ski boots, which allow all movements of toes and dorsiflexion of ankles.The sole units of the ski boots must attach to the binding units of the skis tightly and snugly, in order to control the direction and speed during skiing.The flex (forward bend) of the boots, as well as the weight and thickness of the layers, can be adjusted to achieve different requirements, such as protection, comfort, high speed, etc. [18].Depending on the sport , 01007 (2023) (racing, freestyle, recreational, moguls, etc.) and the skier (weight, physical characteristics, skiing skill, etc.), the optimal material for skiing must be chosen [17].
A good pair of skis can reduce the number of skiing accidents significantly.The materials used to produce skis had been changed through out the years.From fiber boards in the 1960s through ultra-high polymer polyethylene in the 1970s, to multimodal composite materials with sandwich structures in the twenty-first century, such as carbon fiber, Kevlar fiber (KF), boron fiber (BF), and silicon carbide fibers (SF) [8,12].These premium, medium-weight skis will glide smoothly and fast, with flexible turning and a long lifespan [12].Some modern skis are electrically conductive, with an antistatic property to reduce the static charge between the base of the ski and the snow, therefore reducing the friction during sliding.In recent years, researchers have attempted to develop new types of skis by using FRP as the core material, with some promising results [21].Aramid, for example, is a lightweight and extremely strong composite.It greatly improves the damping qualities of skis, by absorbing deformation vibration and torsional vibration during sliding, therefore it reduces impact and enhances control of the speed and direction in skiing [22] 3.1.4Skis .

Sport protective gears
Snow is highly reflective of ultraviolet radiation.Skiers and other winter sports participants require UV protection as well as protection from environmental items (snowfall, wood, stone) due to their high speed movement.Protective glasses are frequently made from polycarbonate, a very durable material that absorbs UV radiation.Polycarbonate has strong light transmission, a high refractive index, great impact resistance, good dimensional stability, and is easy to process and form [5].These glasses can also be constructed with the proper diopter according to a prescription [23]

Ski goggles
. Ski helmets should be breathable and able to retain heat, as athletes emit a lot of heat from their heads while skiing.The exterior shell of ski helmet is primarily constructed of polycarbonate and ABS.The internal impact absorbent liner is typically made of high-density foam, which provides the best cushioning in the event of a head collision [24] 3.2.2Ski helmets .Athletes must defend themselves from the cold weather during outdoor Winter Games competitions, yet wearing bulkier clothes will impair their performance.In Winte

Cold-proof fabrics r
Olympic Games, participants competed in the snow wearing merely flimsy clothing, gloves, ankle braces, knee pads, and other thermal products made out of graphene heating technology, are able to provide excellent protection and support, while significantly minimize energy waste in human body in lowtemperature condition.Flexible graphene electric heating composite nanofibers are one of the key technologies.Graphene has a high thermal conductivity and emits infrared radiation via lattice vibration.Graphene composite nanofibers are more flexible and compatible with textile fibers than standard electrical cables [25].Other professional equipment such as handheld transceivers, mobile phones, cameras, etc., can also use graphene insulated covering to ensure their functionality in temperatures below -20 °C.

Conclusion
In conclusion, polymers have had a significant impact on athletics in the Winter Olympics.They have been used to create innovative materials that enhance the performance of athletes and provide protection against harsh weather conditions.The use of polymers in the design of skis, snowboards, and other equipment has improved the speed, stability, and maneuverability of athletes, allowing them to achieve new heights in their respective sports.
Moreover, the development of synthetic fibers has revolutionized the clothing worn by athletes, providing them with lightweight, breathable, and waterproof garments that keep them warm and dry in extreme temperatures.This has not only improved their comfort but also their performance, as they can focus on their sport without being distracted by the weather.
Overall, polycarbonate, polyurethane, fiber composites, and other polymer materials have been widely used in the field of competitive sports, due to their superior mechanical properties and other physical and chemical characteristics.In Winter Olympics, they have demonstrated their unique strengths in cold environment.With the rapid development of polymer materials, integration of polymer materials and competitive sports facilities and equipment will continue to thrive, thereby greatly improves performance in competitive sports in extreme environmental circumstances.