At the Milan-Cortina Olympics, Team USA has achieved historic success in skiing and snowboarding without using fluorinated waxes containing PFAS, known as forever chemicals. The U.S. cross-country ski team secured three medals, its largest haul ever, amid the first Olympic ban on such substances. This marks a significant test for elite winter sports in a PFAS-free environment.
The Milan-Cortina Olympics, held in 2026, introduced the first international ban on fluorinated ski waxes containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, used since the 1980s for their water- and dirt-repelling properties, have been linked to health issues including thyroid disease, developmental problems, and cancer. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced the ban in 2019, implementing it in 2023, while the International Biathlon Union also prohibits them.
U.S. athletes have thrived under these restrictions. Ben Ogden of Vermont won silver in the men's classic sprint, ending a 50-year medal drought for American men in cross-country skiing. Five days later, he and Gus Schumacher claimed silver in the team sprint. The cross-country team now holds three medals, its best performance to date. Overall, U.S. skiers and snowboarders have earned more than a dozen medals, including Mikaela Shiffrin's gold in alpine slalom, Chloe Kim's silver in halfpipe snowboarding, and Jessie Diggins's Nordic bronze despite a bruised rib.
Adapting to the ban has required innovation. Ski technicians like Chris Hecker, who works with Schumacher, described the three weeks as "some of the trickiest" for waxing due to variables such as precipitation, sun exposure, humidity, and temperature shifts. Without fluoros, which former racer Nathan Schultz called a "really ridiculous speed advantage," teams rely more on ski selection and base grind patterns. Elite racers carry dozens or over 100 pairs of skis. Hecker noted, "We’re always chasing marginal gains," adding that "at this level, tiny differences matter." Despite challenges, he said, "We’ve had a wildly successful Olympics."
Tanner Keim, technician for the U.S. freeski team, mentioned warmer conditions and high humidity in Italy complicated efforts, especially in women's slopestyle and men's big air events. His athletes won two silvers, though he admitted, "I would have been a little bit more confident with the fluoros."
Enforcement has been rigorous. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Swix in 2020 for illegally importing PFAS wax. At these Games, two South Korean Nordic skiers and a Japanese snowboarder were disqualified for positive tests, which they attributed to accidental contamination. The South Korean Ski Association stated, "test results showed that fluoride was detected in one of the fluoride-free waxes."
With two days left, Ogden, Schumacher, and Diggins are set for the men's and women's 50-kilometer races. Ogden, after his podium, affirmed it won't take another 50 years for U.S. success.
