The University of Glasgow's wind tunnel saw acceleration levels faster than a Formula1 car when members of the British Speed Ski team (Nigel Brockton, Millar Reid and Richard Abram) tested their equipment and positions yesterday ahead of competitions in Switzerland and Austria next month.

Professors from the University's Department of Aerospace Engineering helped the skiers train for the F￩d￩ration Internationale de Ski (FIS) World Cup in 2003 where Nigel Brockton scored the first ever Cup win for Britain. Three members of the team were also placed in the top three in the FIS World Championships (Marc Poncin 3rd, Nigel Brockton 5th and Millar Reid 10th) after training at the University.

'We're right up there with the top racers in the World and using data from these tests could give us the edge that will enable us to dominate', said Nigel Brockton, British Speed Skier.

Wind tunnel training is an important part of speed skiers' preparation as finishing times often only differ by a fraction of a second. Silk long johns were recommended to the skiers on a previous visit to the University. It has been found that aerodynamic underwear can shave two-tenths of a second over a typical downhill course.

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First published: 21 January 2004