Why Olympic Swimmers Wear Coats Before a Race

In Paris this year, the Olympic swimmers have been making some serious noise during the competition. But one question that keeps surfacing has little to do with the technical details of their swim strokes. Instead, people are wondering why Olympic swimmers have been spotted wearing jackets before their competitions — ranging from medium-weight zip-ups to full-on winter puffers.

The Olympic swimmers aren’t wearing jackets because they want to take full advantage of their Olympic kits. Rather, it’s a way for the athletes to keep their core temperatures and skin warmed up before they race.

From a physiological point of view, a warm-up is important for multiple reasons. Ideally, athletes want to feel ready, prepared, and in the zone. A warm-up allows for increased oxygen and blood flow, allowing the body to transition from a rested state to gradually warming up the core body temperature – all key aspects for performance.

And while you may expect a warm-up to be more about gentle, preparatory movement rather than dressing warmly, there may be a method to the swimmers’ approach. In a (admittedly very small) study from the European Journal of Sport Science, found that competitive swimmers who wore warm clothing between their swimming warm-up and their race performed about 0.6 percent better than those who wore limited clothing. In the Olympics, 0.6 percent can definitely spell the difference between a gold and a silver — or a medal or none — which helps explain why swimmers tend to bundle up before their races.

As for what jackets your favorite Olympic swimmers consider warm-up worthy: Katie Ledecky, one of the greatest swimmers of all time, sported a white zip-up jacket — seemingly the TYR Sport Hydrosphere Women’s Softshell Recon Jacket ($149), to be exact — before her 400m race. The jacket seems slim, but has a fleece interior designed for insulation.

Meanwhile, before the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final, Team USA men’s swimmers Caeleb Dressel, Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano, and Hunter Armstrong all donned puffer coats: what appears to be the TYR Hydrosphere Men’s Mission Puffer Jacket ($179), which has fleece-lined pockets, elastic cuffs, and an adjustable hood.

So, does wearing a jacket before a race really make you a faster swimmer? It’s certainly possible. After all, in an exhilarating competition, with a heart-racing ending, Team USA ultimately brought home the gold medal.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a Staff Writer, Health & Fitness. A life-long martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength & conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in Exercise Science and Strength and Conditioning from George Washington University.