Bacteria-killing copper coating added to Calgary gym equipment to protect Olympic athletes

Copper-coated gym equipment may give Olympic athletes training in Calgary an edge, by helping to keep them healthy.

As they prepare to compete in Milan Cortina 2026, Team Canada Ski Cross sibling athletes Hanna Schmidt and Jared Schmidt are spending the summer training at the The Markin MacPhail Centre at WinSport, which now includes copper surfaces and equipment aimed at protecting athletes from the spread of germs and bacteria.

“If you get sick, it's huge," said Jared. "You're going to miss time training."
"you lose a week or two of training that takes away from that strength that you can build," adds Hannah. "Every session counts."

Copper has antimicrobial properties and kills up to 99.9 per cent of harmful bacteria within two hours of contact. 

Antimicrobial copper is the only solid metal touch surface registered as a public health product by Health Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In February 2022, Teck, the Canadian Olympic team and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sports Institute announced a $150,000 partnership to add copper to exercise equipment and high-touch spaces. 

Recent research proving the effectiveness of copper at killing germs has increased interest around the world to use it for high-touch surfaces in places including transit and healthcare facilities. 

Everything from dumbbell handles to door handles will be coated in copper to help reduce the spread of infection.

Since it never stops killing bacteria, there is growing use of copper around the world for high-touch surfaces in places including transit and healthcare facilities. 

"When we're fighting for 1,000th of a second, it's all about how are we able to do that," said Jeremiah Barnert, Team Canada Ski Cross trainer.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Aztecs relied on copper compounds for various health reasons including sterilizing wounds and drinking water.

Usually the copper was mixed with iron and used as bronze: a winning combination on the podium and the road to it.

Copper is a bit more expensive than substances such as stainless steel, which are often used for things like hospital beds.

Teck says recent studies show that investing in copper pays off within two months.