Double Olympic gold in bobsleigh: SKINION X (R) establishes textile skin protection as a new level of protection

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO / BOLZANO, February 24, 2026

By winning gold medals in the two-man and four-man bobsleigh at the Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the team led by Johannes Lochner, Georg Fleischhauer, Thorsten Margis, and Joern Wenzel has underlined its exceptional sporting status. At the same time, a previously little-noticed dimension of modern clothing systems is coming into focus: the skin as an independent protective layer.

SKINION X (R) was worn under the racing suits as a so-called "protective first layer." The skin as a structural stress layer In high-performance sports, aerodynamics, material technology, and climate management have traditionally been the focus. However, especially in the starting phases with maximum acceleration, considerable mechanical forces act directly on the skin. Friction, pressure, and shear forces arise independently of the external protection system and affect the first contact surface of the body. SKINION X (R) addresses this mechanical stress not as a comfort feature, but as a constructively integrated protective layer within modern clothing systems.

The development approach is based on a medical-related, research-oriented environment. Findings on mechanically stressed skin are transferred to a textile protective architecture that systematically takes stress into account. "We do not see skin protection as an additional function, but as a structural component of performance-oriented equipment," explains Leif Heppner, founder of SKINION X (R). "The double gold medal under identical extreme conditions confirms the practicality of this approach." Institutional classification and international development The relevance of the skin as an independent dimension of stress and protection is also increasingly being discussed at the association level. SKINION X (R) is a member of the FIS SRS network and actively participates in professional exchanges on the role of textile skin protection in winter sports.

At the same time, consultations are currently underway with other international winter sports associations, including the FIL (International Luge Federation) and the IBU (International Biathlon Union), to further develop the structural integration of the skin as a protective layer within modern equipment systems across disciplines.

The approach is not aimed at short-term product placement, but at the sustainable expansion of existing protective architectures in competitive sports. Transferability beyond elite sports The competitions in Cortina illustrate that mechanical stress occurs regardless of discipline or equipment. Wherever movement, friction, and pressure come together, stress acts directly on the skin. SKINION X (R) therefore positions itself as a technology-oriented platform for textile skin protection. In top-level sports as well as in other performance- and stress-intensive fields of application, including motorcycle racing, occupational safety, and industrial applications.

H-Pro GmbH c/o Heppner Apparel
Leonardo da Vinci Str. 12
39100 Bozen
Italien

https://www.skinion-x.com

Herr Helmut Hanus

helmut@skinion-x.com

About SKINION-X (R)

SKINION-X (R) is a brand of H-pro (R) GmbH within the Heppner Apparel Group. The company develops textile protection systems with a clear focus on the skin as a structural stress level. The development work follows a medical-based, scientifically sound approach to reducing mechanical stresses such as friction, pressure, and shear forces directly on the skin. Development and manufacturing take place in Italy.

This release was published on openPR.