PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — The Americans are wearing battery-powered parkas, while the Canadians are using heated snow pants. The Norwegians brought their own hot chocolate.
Then there’s the scene at the moguls skiing hill, where yoga mats — or things that look like yoga mats — are used to create a barrier between one’s feet and the freezing turf.
The conditions here are severe. Preparations have been made to postpone the men’s downhill ski racing event this weekend if strong winds don’t abate. So at this unusually chilly Winter Olympic Games — with wind chills expected to make it feel below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius) as competition gets underway — elite athletes long accustomed to cold weather are trying anything and everything to stay warm.