The French have been biking through the snow-capped Alpine resort of Tignes.
The Italians have been sprinting in Sestriere, the posh enclave that hosted skiing events for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
And England, at least for a time, pondered whether its players should sleep in specially designed low-oxygen tents.
All three have won a World Cup. And in pursuit of another title, their national soccer teams have taken extraordinary measures to gird for the nearly mile-high climes of South Africa — altitudes that can affect athletes’ energy, mental acuity and recovery time.
Full story: World Cup teams brace for altitude change as they head to South Africa