Challenge

To maximise performance under extreme conditions of heat and humidity, top athletes need body cooling to prevent them from hyperthermia.

The solutions that exist and are still being optimised (ice baths, chill chillers, etc.) are not always that easy to use.

In preparing for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020 - which are said to become hot and humid - Sport Flanders would like to develop a better cooling technology to enable Flemish athletes to cool down before, during and after the training or competition.

Various Flemish sports federations are interested. The project meets a concrete need of many disciplines such as cycling, triathlon, football and tennis.

The benefits are obvious. The athletes will be able to maximize their capabilities in the best conditions. This will contribute to better sports performances of the Flemish athletes and – by doing this - improve the international visibility of Flanders.

Large economic gains in the short term are not immediately to be expected because the market is initially small (only a few disciplines within the Flemish top sports world). As a result, the market itself will invest little in this type of development. This makes it a suitable project for public tendering. In the long run, the development could also lead to applications that have commercial potential, such as sports, work or medical clothing.