For three weeks, our reporter Éric Desrosiers and our photographer Marie-France Coallier will share their experience of covering the Beijing Winter Olympics, from the backstage to the competitions.
The image reminds of summer and childhood. When all the swimmers in a round above-ground pool start spinning in circles creating what is called “a current” or “a whirlpool” that ends up being so strong that you feel carried away by it.
Connoisseurs will tell you that a similar phenomenon occurs in a long track speed skating oval where skaters are constantly turning. A draft eventually takes shape in the stadium and turns in the same direction as the runners, giving them a little extra push in the back.
Although modest, this push is enough to make a small difference to the times recorded and make the athletes grumble when an incident or a technical problem interrupts the flow of the competition allowing the current to weaken. Its strength is sufficient that it has been planned to simulate it at the new covered Ice Center in Quebec City with fans blowing air in order to allow athletes to train there at slightly higher speeds than at the normal.
To see in video