Professor Florentina 'Fleur' Hettinga loves speed skating. Not only has she competed as an athlete in the discipline, but she has also researched many elements of the sport, from the physiology of the top athletes to the technical expertise and equipment needed to be among the best. Based in Amsterdam, Hettinga is at the centre of Dutch speed skating excellence, serving as Head of Department of Human Movement Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit and as a professor at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences. Hettinga talks Mike and Ross through the fascinating equipment used in modern speed skating, the technical skills that need to be honed to be competitive, and the unique, non-event-specific training that many of the top speed skaters employ. If you're watching the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games, start here.

SHOW NOTES:

Fleur Hettinga’s research profile

The training insights of Nils van der Poel

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Show Notes

On the Spotlight this week, we wrap up the Australian Open where dramatic semi finals saw Alcaraz overcome cramp (to Zverev's dismay), Djokovic overcome Sinner (to Ross' prediction dismay), and then Alcaraz overpower Djokovic to win a career Grand Slam. Elana Rybakina won the women's title, powered by a dominant serve and a few harsh, but helpful words from her coach.

Then it's a concussion and head injury discussion, with a Spotlight on football and rugby. Should young children be tackling and heading a football? We explore those debates and discover that bans and delays don't play out quite the same way in the two sports, but that many unanswered questions remain. A recent paper by Ross and some colleagues finds that rugby players wearing headgear are more likely to suffer injuries than those not wearing headgear. An odd finding, but confounded by history and bias, as a lesson for how research limitations play out.

And finally, does Karsten Blummenfelt really have a VO2max of 101 ml/kg/min? The Norwegian triathlete published that number earlier in the week, and it was met with skepticism bordering on ridicule. We discuss why the number isn't physiologically believable, what it means, and how errors in measurement might occur.

Finally finally, if you enjoy the show and want to show your support, then become a Supporter with a small monthly donation, and you'll also get access to our Community Chat, and, as discussed in this show, upcoming Live Event Coverage.

Links

The Contact Conundrum: Are We Introducing Contact at the Correct Time in Youth Sports?

Wearing Regulation Soft-Padded Headgear Does Not Reduce the Risk of Head Injuries in Professional Men's Rugby Players: An Observational Cohort Study

The Spennymoor Heading Trial Article

Article on Blummenfelts 101 VO2max

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Norwegian Oyvind Sandbakk is a specialist in the brutally tough world of cross-country skiing and biathlon. He is Sports Director at the Norwegian School of Elite Sports and a Professor II at the School of Sport Science at the UiT The Artic University of Norway. A former World Cup cross-country skier himself, Oyvind has worked with many of Norway's top athletes in Nordic sports. We delve into the technical details of both disciplines (including the dark art of waxing!), the gear involved in both sports, the physiology required to be one of the best in the world and what to watch for at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Show notes

• The article referred to in the show about the importance of waxing, and the number of skis the athletes have
• Here is Oyvind's research profile page with his university

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