The colorful strips of adhesive are hard to miss. Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling of Sweden, Denise Herrmann of Germany and Jessie Diggins of the United States have all been spotted with tape across their noses and cheeks in competition.
The skiers have been using the tape to shield their faces from the effects of freezing temperatures and harsh winds while racing in Beijing. It was a trend perhaps first started by the Alpine skier Ted Ligety at the 2018 Winter Games, when he wore a strip of tape reading “U.S.A.” over his nose and cheeks durng downhill training.