Why do cross-country skiers wear patches on face?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 11, 2026
Several skiers have been spotted wearing athletic tape over their cheeks and noses to shield their faces from the harsh wind and severe temperatures. Many of them are wearing KT Tape, or kinesiology tape, an elastic sports tape originally created to support muscles and joints and provide drug-free pain relief.
Why do the skiers wear tape on their face?
Well, the tape is there to protect and shield their faces from the fierce winds and freezing temperatures of Beijing. According to Today, the trend first came about at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, "when Alpine skier Ted Ligety wore a strip of USA-branded tape prominently across his nose and cheeks."
Why do Olympic skiers wear patches on their face?
The athletes believe the tape helps to shield them from the harsh temperatures and wind as they compete at the Winter Olympics. The snow may be fake, but the cold is very real at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where temperatures have plunged into the single digits.
What are the skiers wearing on their faces?
BEIJING, China — Many skiers at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are wearing KT Tape on their faces to combat frostbite, and while the tape manufacturer applauds the creativity, it warns against the practice.
Why do Olympic skiers wear bibs on shoulders?
The reason is more function than fashion, according to CBC Olympics snowboarding expert Craig McMorris. "Sometimes those bibs can fly up in your eyes. That's very, very dangerous. So a lot of the riders will tuck it under their arm," McMorris said during the snowboard halfpipe competition.
42 related questions foundCan you use kinesiology tape on your face?
Kinesiology tape can be comfortably used as a face mask that acts as a physical barrier between your mouth/nose and the outside world.
What are the cross country skiers wearing on their faces?
The KT Tape that athletes are putting on their faces is normally used as an elastic sports tape to provide support for muscles, ligaments and tendons to allow for full range of motion. The tape is sponsored and used by several athletes in the Beijing Winter Olympics as well as the summer Olympics season.
What do the skiers have in their mouth?
Some cross-country and biathlon athletes have been spotted holding a whistle-like gadget in their mouths as they ski. The device is a respiratory heat exchanger. Aluminum coils inside of it capture the heat from an athlete's breath.
How do Olympic cross country skiers stay warm?
The snow squeaks under their skis as Olympic athletes spin their arms in a wind-milling motion and hop up and down in place to keep warm, their noses and cheeks covered in strips of colored tape as mist rises from their buff-covered faces.
Does taping your face help wrinkles?
Using facial tape to tackle wrinkles is controversial, as most dermatologists and aestheticians agree that tapes, patches, and bandages will not effectively reduce, remove, or prevent wrinkles.
Does Scotch tape get rid of wrinkles?
The tape works to smooth out the lines on your face. The thing is once you take the tape off, your lines come back and you're back at square one. The smoothing effect only lasts while the tape is on and it goes away once the tape is off. So it doesn't really prevent or treat wrinkles.
Does taping wrinkles really work?
"Face tape for wrinkles are only truly effective in reducing facial muscle tension in young people with dynamic wrinkles (wrinkles that appear when you make a facial movement)," says Dr. Vincent Wong, a leading cosmetic doctor based in Knightsbridge.
What are the Olympic skiers wearing on their face?
Several skiers have been spotted wearing athletic tape over their cheeks and noses to shield their faces from the harsh wind and severe temperatures.
Why do biathlon athletes drool?
Biathletes drool when they're skiing a course, says U.S. team member Carolyn Treacy, shortly after she competes in the women's relay Thursday and then -- like all three of her teammates -- falls to the earth. "You're just too tired to spit."
What do the Olympic skiers have in their mouth?
The elastic material of choice is often kinesiology tape, made by the brand KT Tape, which is designed to provide pain relief and lightweight support to muscles. An athlete typically applies the tape to joints or muscles, and it is rarely used on the face — with good reason.
Why do skiers wear mouthguards?
Why do I need a mouthguard for skiing? Wearing a mouthguard while participating in an action sport like skiing may help you reduce your risk of dental injury. For example, did you know that 200,000 oral injuries are prevented annually in the U.S. by mouthguards?
Why do skiers wear mouth guard?
A mouth guard is one of the least expensive pieces of ski gear you can buy, and it not only protects your teeth — it can also help prevent concussions.
Do skiers wear mouthguards?
Either way, it's a reminder to fans everywhere that while winter sports like skiing, riding and sledding are great exercise and lots of fun, they also have the potential to cause injury, including damage to the teeth, face and mouth. So just like a helmet, a mouthguard should be part of every skier and rider's gear.
Is Chloe Kim representing China?
What nationality is Chloe Kim? Chloe Kim is a second-generation Korean-American. Her parents, Boran Kim and Jong Jin are Korean are both immigrants from South Korea to the United States. Kim was born and raised in Torrance, California meaning that when she competes, she represents Team USA.