Luge athlete killed in Whistler during training

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Hey, all I know is that an American luger predicted that someone would die on this track.

Why get on the track?

All I know is that many people have questioned the safety of this track from the day it was built.

Why get on the track?

All I know is that there were several crashes in training, and injuries.

First time ever in luge?

All I know is that a man is dead, exactly as predicted.

Must have been a complete fluke.

Don't know if I would call it a fluke, more of an accident. Lugers thought it was safe enough to go down, coaches thought it was safe enough to let their athletes go down, IFL thought it was safe enough to open and re-open and IOC thought it was safe. But you're right I bet all these people put these athletes in danger just for fun.

[STeeLy]

Good to see that they added an extra barrier on top of where he flew off. At least now the exit on that turn, you wouldn't really be slamming head first into anything and just slide along the top of the barrier and come back down.

[flames_fan_down_under]

nm

[carom]

I have read this whole thread and there seems to be a whole lot of conjecture and few informed opinions. People have talked about what they have read, seen, and herd, but very few actual links to what the informed people have to say.

I found this and thought there were a few interesting points:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...7vQsAD9DRFJK00

Designer shocked by luge death

"We've already designed six Olympic courses," designer Udo Gurgel told Sport-Bild magazine's online edition. "No one has been thrown from the track before."

Georg Hackl, Germany's former three-time luge champion, agreed.
"They have to put high wooden boards there, then the luger doesn't fly off but hits the plank, falls back to the track and slides down," Hackl told the online edition of the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
Hackl said a small driving error and not the speed of the track was to blame.
"It's a track that's significantly faster than any other tracks that we know," Hackl told the newspaper. "At the beginning, it was a great challenge for the athletes. But it's their job to master these demands. And they have. They all have the track under control, including the Georgian. Such a tiny driving error, it can happen."
"He simply was too late coming into the final curve," he added. "What happened was something that no one in the luge world could have imagined for possible."
Hackl said luge specialists assume that the competitors who crash will remain on the track and not fly off.
"In luge accidents are part of our daily routine. In the run before, Armin Zoeggeler, the world's best luger, had a spectacular crash. That's normal. You stand up, shake yourself and ride again.
"We assume that those who crash will stay on the track and we don't pay too much attention to the structures outside the track."
Hackl said the decision to have the men begin from the women's start was made "to please those who don't know anything about the sport."

[STeeLy]

See.. I don't think that they should move the men's to the women's start point... (which I don't think they did), however, they should (and much like they had) add an extra barrier.

[jasonbpc]

Raising the wall is not good enough. You must put plexiglass or plywood to cover the entire metal poles.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by jasonbpc

Raising the wall is not good enough. You must put plexiglass or plywood to cover the entire metal poles.

They did more than what was necessary IMO. It's more than safe.

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by Fire

They did more than what was necessary IMO. It's more than safe.

I think the height of the wall now is more than adequate. Unless the wall doesn't hold, then it would be a major problem.

Seeing the footage of the Georgian accident, if you noticed, he first slid along the top of the wall before abruptly stopping at that metal pole. Had the wall been in place, he would have slid along that raised wall and then come down onto the track surface, maybe a few minor injuries and/or concussion, but he would have lived.

[transplant99]

yeah it was apparent the real trouble was the speed involved and that one particular corner...they have completely covered up that area with a wall that would just dump anybody back onto the track and see them slide to a stop.

I think one of the biggest issues in years past in this sport wasn't just wrecking, as that has happened since the sport began, but the sled itself becoming a fast moving giant razor sharp blade that could do so much more damage than any wipeout would. I think that risk still applies, and will til they stop making luge runs.

Hopefully the rest of this thing goes off without major incident as I think there is a major kneejerk reaction going on in the face of a tragedy that no one can wrap their head around.

[valo403]

"It's a track that's significantly faster than any other tracks that we know," Hackl told the newspaper. "At the beginning, it was a great challenge for the athletes. But it's their job to master these demands. And they have. They all have the track under control, including the Georgian. Such a tiny driving error, it can happen."
"He simply was too late coming into the final curve," he added. "What happened was something that no one in the luge world could have imagined for possible."

Maybe it's just a matter of translation or how the article was written, but how can he say it was a small error that "can happen" one moment and then say it was completely unimaginable the next?

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by STeeLy

I think the height of the wall now is more than adequate. Unless the wall doesn't hold, then it would be a major problem.

Seeing the footage of the Georgian accident, if you noticed, he first slid along the top of the wall before abruptly stopping at that metal pole. Had the wall been in place, he would have slid along that raised wall and then come down onto the track surface, maybe a few minor injuries and/or concussion, but he would have lived.

I thought about whether that sort of wall is strong enough too. I think that given the wall is acting as a bumper and not being smashed into head on will make it more than strong enough. Certainly an eerie camera shot though. You could see all the cleaning that had be been around where he crashed to remove the blood. Still can't believe that happened yesterday.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by valo403

Maybe it's just a matter of translation or how the article was written, but how can he say it was a small error that "can happen" one moment and then say it was completely unimaginable the next?

The small error can happen. the end result was not imaginable.

[Devils'Advocate]

Canadian among a chorus of lugers that are complaining that the new measures taken are overboard:

"I never felt like [the track] was dangerously fast," said Cockerline. "I always enjoyed going fast here. I got a little kick out of trying to get that speed record. I think a lot of people in the sport feel that way. I think that's probably why you get into a sport like luge anyway. You certainly don't show up here expecting to go slow."

Sad as they were about a colleague's death, many of the competitors lamented the ILF's decision saying a difficult course was now diminished.

Full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/joe...-too-slow.html

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I think one of the biggest issues in years past in this sport wasn't just wrecking, as that has happened since the sport began, but the sled itself becoming a fast moving giant razor sharp blade that could do so much more damage than any wipeout would. I think that risk still applies, and will til they stop making luge runs.

My brother-in-law's father participated for the US in luge at the Olympics (Innisbrook). He has a funny story that after training they left their sleds outside and their coach gave them crap for letting rust form on the runners. The funny part is he said they did that on purpose; they were scared out of their minds and wanted the sled to go a bit slower. That was back in 1964 (and he finished 13th in doubles).

[Gozer]

I saw the video at a friends house. It's still haunting me.

[MRCboicgy]

Nice moment of silence down at the Dome tonight

[Methanolic]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Nice moment of silence down at the Dome tonight

I just read about that on the Flames GT. That impresses me. Very classy for the Flames Org. to pay their respects.

[Jesse834]

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/luge/news/...tml?cid=rsstsn He sounds like a great kid!

"His whole life he wanted to be an athlete, it was his dream to be at the Olympics," he said. "He was so excited about going; I've never seen him so excited in his entire life."
Kumaritashvili said he had heard that video footage of his son's tragic death was being broadcast around the world, but could not imagine watching it himself.
"I can't watch how it happened. My heart is weak, I don't think I could survive watching it," he said.

Relatives outside the family home described Nodar Kumaritashvili as a devoted athlete, a respectful young man and a fervent Orthodox Christian believer who prayed at the local church just before leaving for the Olympics.
His cousin, David Bedushvili, said Nodar had been convinced he would do well at the Olympics.
"Nodar said he would come home with a medal," Bedushvili said, choking back tears.

[Weiser Wonder]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

Canadian among a chorus of lugers that are complaining that the new measures taken are overboard:




Full article:
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/joe...-too-slow.html

Not really surprising. Lugers never were the safety first type.

[photon]

Alright, enough with this thread.. stop posting that animated GIF, and stop arguing and insulting each other, otherwise we'll just lock the thread.