The man in charge of the Olympic long-track speedskating rink is disappointed. After the 500 meter race, Marc Norman, caretaker at the Utah Olympic Oval, carefully examined temperature and humidity data. He had hoped that world records would be broken at this, the highest altitude speed skating track in the world. Air resistance is lower at high altitude, and the reduced oxygen creates a better sheet of ice. A Popular Science article goes into detail on the design of the rink, the ice, the building. The ice is tweaked for different events, adjusting for more “glide” at distance events and “grip” for shorter races. Norman mixes a secret soap substance into the Zamboni water in order to reduce the oxygen frozen in. The lower ceiling in the building allows for better control over the climate inside. A dehumidifier was specially designed for the space. With such deep preparation and fine control, it isn’t surprising that Norman is disappointed with the lack of record breaking skates. After analyzing the data, he decided that the temperature of the floor under the ice was too warm. But the skaters are pleased with the ice, even if they aren’t breaking any records.