Things happen fast on the luge track, where sleds can reach speeds of almost 90 miles per hour.
That might be why Dow Chemical already has renewed its partnership with USA Luge, even though the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are three years away.
Midland, Mich.-based Dow on Feb. 7 confirmed that it again will be the Official Technical Partner of USA Luge for the 2022 games. The two have worked together since 2007, including the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
"Through this ongoing partnership, Dow leverages the knowledge of physical sciences and state-of-the-art engineering tools to develop an advanced luge sled," Dow officials said in a news release.
Scientists from Dow's Materials Engineering Center work with USA Luge engineers to understand the variables driving performance and to design sleds that are faster, more stable and more precise. This work is followed by testing both in-lab and on the track.
Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions president Mike Reed added that the collaboration between Dow and USA Luge "applies Dow's extensive knowledge of the science of speed, pushing the boundaries of engineering possibilities to create breakthrough sporting experiences for athletes."
Team USA Luge has seen historic successes at the Olympic Games with Erin Hamlin winning a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi with a bronze, followed by Chris Mazdzer's silver at PyeongChang 2018.
"Our partnership with Dow has delivered advances in sled design that have helped U.S. athletes to race faster and with more control over the sled," Mazdzer said in the release. "With races determined by thousandths of a second, every small adjustment matters."
