Winter Olympic speed skaters adopt ‘tush push’ technique in bid for gold
Team USA speed skaters at the 2026 Winter Olympics (Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)
Team USA’s speed skaters have changed their approach to the race in recent years, with athletes competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan adopting a technique known as the ‘tush push’.
Used in the team pursuit speed skating, the ‘tush push’ involves pushing a teammate by their behind instead of pulling them along from the front.
The term comes from a controversial but highly effective American football play perfected by the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years.
READ MORE: Winter Olympics bosses replenish condoms after supply of 10,000 ran out
Team USA’s speed skaters sought the advice of aerodynamicist Ingmar Jungnickel to see if the technique could be adapted and used to improve their chances of winning gold.
“We could show that pushing is substantially faster,” Jungnickel told NPR on 16 February.
“And in fact, so fast that you can go from eighth in the world to first in the world using this technique.”
The ambition is fuelled by a run of third-place titles, after USA’s men’s team only managed to nab a bronze medal in 2022, and Brittany Bowe came away with the same for the women in 2018.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
