@CascadeConcrete they wear pretty much regular thin full size skiing underwear and then lycra race suite over it. When it's down to -5c, most of people go just with boxers and t-shirt style underwear and lycra race suit. And this race suit is nothing like alpine skiing race suit it, but pretty much similar to lycra used for cycling bibs.
Thing is, if you never raced you can't really imagine how it it. You are racing at full speed (regardless if local race or Olympics) and your torso, your legs and arms are sweating, even at -20c, while at same time, some other parts of body, and especially your fingers and toes are freezing. There's not really much chances that you will put clothes on so, that your stomach will be nice and warm while your chest will be cool and not sweating too much (the more you sweat for nothing the less efficient you are). And then there are boots... Race boots are thin and light. You need to have some feeling for ski, and you don't want to carry extra weight. To make it more familiar to some of you, it's similar to alpine race boots. Anyone wish to stand on side of the course in alpine race boots at -20c for 3 hours? I guess not, and every normal person on world picks touring boots for this kind of work... at least if you want to keep your toes But for proper skiing, there's nothing better then real race boot. And when you fight for olympic medal, you pick tool that is fast, not that one that makes you feel comfortable. So maybe "his ability to father children" is not that questionable, as he was there to race, and making safe enough environment for racing is on someone's else. As I wrote, when you go racing, you go racing, and you dress appropriately to this, not for being nice and cozy... and SLOW.
Thing is, if you never raced you can't really imagine how it it. You are racing at full speed (regardless if local race or Olympics) and your torso, your legs and arms are sweating, even at -20c, while at same time, some other parts of body, and especially your fingers and toes are freezing. There's not really much chances that you will put clothes on so, that your stomach will be nice and warm while your chest will be cool and not sweating too much (the more you sweat for nothing the less efficient you are). And then there are boots... Race boots are thin and light. You need to have some feeling for ski, and you don't want to carry extra weight. To make it more familiar to some of you, it's similar to alpine race boots. Anyone wish to stand on side of the course in alpine race boots at -20c for 3 hours? I guess not, and every normal person on world picks touring boots for this kind of work... at least if you want to keep your toes But for proper skiing, there's nothing better then real race boot. And when you fight for olympic medal, you pick tool that is fast, not that one that makes you feel comfortable. So maybe "his ability to father children" is not that questionable, as he was there to race, and making safe enough environment for racing is on someone's else. As I wrote, when you go racing, you go racing, and you dress appropriately to this, not for being nice and cozy... and SLOW.