For some Olympic athletes, simply traveling to Sochi, Russia for the Games is a feat of endurance. Besides the distance, security is tight, and reports indicate that the accommodations are leaving something to be desired.

But having made it to Sochi, the athletes certainly aren't going to let security checkpoints or bizarre bathroom setups stand in their way. They've sacrificed time and spent a considerable amount of their own money on their Olympic goals, and it's time to go for the gold.

But oftentimes, it takes more than physical prowess to make it to that podium. Coaches, corporations, and even entire countries work to take an athlete's training to the next level. Technology not only helps us stay connected and stave off boredom. It can also help a skier, bobsledder, skater, ice hockey player, or curler push harder to land at No. 1 (and on a Wheaties box). While the rest of us consider strapping on a Fitbit Force and walking 10,000 steps a day technologically enhanced training, it's slightly more advanced for Olympians.

Check out the slideshow for more details on how tech has helped Olympic athletes ski, skate, jump, and twirl into the record books. Also check out our guide for watching the Games online and some of the athletes you might want to follow.


1. BAE Systems Wind Tunnel Britain's Olympic bobsledders got practice time in an unlikely spot—a testing facility for fighter jets. BAE Systems lent the space and aerodynamic experts to the team for three days in July so the bobsledders could test how their positions and setups are affected by wind resistance.

2. Coach's Eye A $4.99 app is the training tool of choice for Team USA freestyle skier Patrick Deneen. Coach's Eye allows his coaches to film and analyze his practice jumps even when they're not nearby. The app slows down the footage and breaks it into frames for scrutiny and shows side-by-side views. Its social sharing feature makes it so that coaches and other athletes can weigh in and get tips from anywhere.

3. Roller-Skis Training for cross-country skiing doesn't mean trekking through snow for miles. Devon Kershaw, a member of the Canadian team, used roller-skis , an indoor treadmill of sorts built by Treadsport Training Systems. Using GPS and cameras, the roller-skis can replicate the course at Sochi or anywhere else and reach about 22 miles per hour.

4. Dogecoin Cool Runnings fame with something a little more current. It broke a 12-year streak of not qualifying for the Olympics but lacked the funds to get to Sochi and compete. The team has crowdfunded over $175,000, partly in the meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin, to help send it to Sochi. The Jamaica bobsled team is pretty determined to outdo itsfame with something a little more current. It broke a 12-year streak of not qualifying for the Olympics but lacked the funds to get to Sochi and compete. The team has crowdfunded over $175,000, partly in the meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin, to help send it to Sochi.

5. Motion Capture for Skating "Performance" in the University of Delaware Human Performance Lab has two meanings when it comes to skating. Researchers have strapped 40 motion-capture markers onto skaters to create 3D simulations that help skaters master jumps in weeks instead of months while helping them preserve their joint and bone health by reducing spills. The program is sponsored by the United States Olympic Committee and United States Figure Skating.

6. Go Pro Snowboard Training Facility Shaun White may have passed on the slopestyle, but he's committed to the halfpipe and so are his sponsors. GoPro built him his own personal halfpipe training ground in Australia. It was fully outfitted with cameras, as was White, so that every aspect of every trick could be analyzed.

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