Does the Luge continue in Van? How about Bobsled

[Flamesoholic]

Please excuse my ignorance on the subject but what does "a change in the ice profile" mean?

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Flamesoholic

Please excuse my ignorance on the subject but what does "a change in the ice profile" mean?

I think it means they put a layer of frost on the ice to slow people down?

[valo403]

Originally Posted by dj_patm

Am I wrong?

Do people design tracks so that when something goes wrong, it goes as bad as possible? Cause it couldn't go any worse.

It's the second part of your post that makes you look stupid.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by valo403

It's the second part of your post that makes you look stupid.

No, he managed that many posts ago.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by nik-

Regardless of him not handling the corner right, there should be no part of the track where screwing up causes you to leave the track, let alone leave the track into a row of squared off metal pillars.

Exactly! This is what people need to understand. Its a luge track, the guy lost contol (happends everywhere), but losing control should not have such grave consequences.

Its like lining the downhill boundries with metal poles. Sure, the athlete should never come near them, but guess what? Loss of control + momentum = You going places that you don't want to

Also bear in mind this track is going to have kids and regular athletes going down it once the Olympics are over.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Exactly! This is what people need to understand. Its a luge track, the guy lost contol (happends everywhere), but losing control should not have such grave consequences.

Its like lining the downhill boundries with metal poles. Sure, the athlete should never come near them, but guess what? Loss of control + momentum = You going places that you don't want to

Also bear in mind this track is going to have kids and regular athletes going down it once the Olympics are over.

You don't think they've gone down it already? It's been open for 3 years...

[Yamer]

While I do believe that the track was probably designed with a little short-sightedness (maybe a lot), it would be very tough to recreate that accident. I mean, it just seems that he hit and flipped at just the right time to send him over the wall.

I think the track simply demands far too much skill, probably no more than a handful of athletes could properly handle. From what I understand they had told the Sochi committee to NOT try and match the Whistler Sliding Center's speeds.

On a side note, it seems the dj may have spun his last tune.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by dj_patm

No. Cause a man lost his life already due to the fact that the engineers didn't think that the walls should be higher.

Neither did the guys that race it everyday, the organization that governs Luge, the IOC, the coaches, or anyone else. People throw out it being the fastest, and most dangerous track in the world when it was noted it actually isn't, that was more of a 'pump it up' type promo for the track. No one ever thought this could happen and no one has ever seen it happen.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Neither did the guys that race it everyday, the organization that governs Luge, the IOC, the coaches, or anyone else. People throw out it being the fastest, and most dangerous track in the world when it was noted it actually isn't, that was more of a 'pump it up' type promo for the track. No one ever thought this could happen and no one has ever seen it happen.

Huh? If this track isn't the fastest and most extreme in the world why have the Sochi organizers been told that they are not to attempt to surpass it? Seems odd.

You have a source for that? I've just honestly never heard that claim anywhere.

[transplant99]

Something I read a couple hours ago...

"It’s a very rare situation,” three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said.

Shortly before the accident, Hackl said he didn’t believe the Whistler track was unsafe.

“People have the opinion it is dangerous but the track crew does the best it can and they are working hard to make sure the track is in good shape and everyone is safe,” he said. “My opinion is that it’s not any more dangerous than anywhere else.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/van...v=ap&type=lgns

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by valo403

Huh? If this track isn't the fastest and most extreme in the world why have the Sochi organizers been told that they are not to attempt to surpass it? Seems odd.

You have a source for that? I've just honestly never heard that claim anywhere.

Watching on CTV there was a luge guy there talking about it saying that the words 'most dangerous' and 'fastest in the world' have been thrown out so much about this track when it is just not true.

I didn't make note or write his name down but it was around 8:30am(PT).

[HOOT]

“My opinion is that it’s not any more dangerous than anywhere else.”

What would a three time Olympic champ and coach know about this track? Rubbish...probably just protecting the IOC and IFL.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Watching on CTV there was a luge guy there talking about it saying that the words 'most dangerous' and 'fastest in the world' have been thrown out so much about this track when it is just not true.

I didn't make note or write his name down but it was around 8:30am(PT).

Alright, but it's a fact that it is the fastest in the world. Most dangerous isn't something you can quantify, so ya that claim could very well just be hype. However, there were athletes earlier this week wondering if they were crash test dummies due to the dangerous nature of the track.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by valo403

Alright, but it's a fact that it is the fastest in the world. Most dangerous isn't something you can quantify, so ya that claim could very well just be hype. However, there were athletes earlier this week wondering if they were crash test dummies due to the dangerous nature of the track.

How long has this track been open? Did they just open it up for the World this week?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by HOOT

How long has this track been open? Did they just open it up for the World this week?

Exactly. Athletes have been using it for over 2 years with no issues. The luge experts say there is nothing unsafe about the track, that is good enough for me.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by HOOT

How long has this track been open? Did they just open it up for the World this week?

What does that have to do with it being the worlds fastest track or that athletes have been quoted as saying they felt like crash test dummies?

[Acey]

It's on CTV right now and I think I saw some big orange pads on the poles in question.

[HOOT]

Originally Posted by valo403

What does that have to do with it being the worlds fastest track or that athletes have been quoted as saying they felt like crash test dummies?

Aren't crash test dummies usually the first to hit a track or test?

Just because it is a demanding course doesn't mean anything. You still have to know your limits as a person and if you don't you may have to pay the price of whipping out.

If the top lugers and coaches say it's fine and want to race it how it was to start I just don't understand how it is that dangerous. I don't know to me when you have 2 people die in your sport in 50+ years that is pretty good. I'm sure even more people have died from slap shots, should those be banned as well?

I'm just curious what you want out of the organizers and sports in general. Do you seriously expect 100% certainty that no one will ever die?

Like I said before we could have watched those metal beams fly by 100's of times over the next week and I bet no one mentions a peep about them. Only reason we notice them is because someone did the UNTHINKABLE and went flying out of the track for the FIRST TIME EVER in the sport.

[valo403]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/L...024/story.html

After nearly losing control on Thursday, Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said the track was risking her life.

"I think they are pushing it a little too much. To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives," said Campbell-Pegg.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by HOOT

Aren't crash test dummies usually the first to hit a track or test?

Just because it is a demanding course doesn't mean anything. You still have to know your limits as a person and if you don't you may have to pay the price of whipping out.

If the top lugers and coaches say it's fine and want to race it how it was to start I just don't understand how it is that dangerous. I don't know to me when you have 2 people die in your sport in 50+ years that is pretty good. I'm sure even more people have died from slap shots, should those be banned as well?

I'm just curious what you want out of the organizers and sports in general. Do you seriously expect 100% certainty that no one will ever die?

Like I said before we could have watched those metal beams fly by 100's of times over the next week and I bet no one mentions a peep about them. Only reason we notice them is because someone did the UNTHINKABLE and went flying out of the track for the FIRST TIME EVER in the sport.

That's just plain false

I answered the rest of your points in the other thread