Sports & Recreation

[Merged] OMG, horrific crash at the Whistler Luge run....

  • Last Updated:
  • Feb 11th, 2011 10:27 pm
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dealstime wrote: Horrible crash. RIP. > :(

Watched the video CTV. The design of the track is stupid. Who the hell puts steels and concrete stuff near such a fast curve. If they cannot fix this it is better to pull the event altogether rather than risk another life..
The really sad thing is that it's a problem that should be easy to solve. Either raise the wall (use perspex if you need a clear camera view), or install an arrestor net to catch any athlete or equipment that gets flung from the track.

One possible blessing is that he appeared to be unconscious going around that last corner, so he may not have actually been aware of what happened.

Georgia are having such a sad time lately, with earthquakes, civil war, Russian invasion, and now this.

RIP lad.
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I hate how CTV is repeatedly showing the video of the crash saying "it's necessary to tell the story".

So tragic. :(
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Free Willy wrote: Is it necessary to post the pics directly? There are some of us who'd rather not see them (again). Just post a link...
+1.

It was sad enough to see them aired on TV so early in the evening. I'll bet a lot of kids were exposed to them too, and it's easy to imagine how upset they must be.
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This is going to cause a lot of controversy over the host nation and whether we are responsible for his death. I really hope we didn't limit their practice runs to maintain a home team advantage.
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wow that was tough just watching the video...
so sad... :(
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The International Luge Federation states that the track is safe, and the tragic accident was a result of Nador losing control of his sleigh. I agree wholeheartedly that some sort of barrier or protection should be erected at the crash location. I'm thinking a mesh barrier similar to the one's used in hockey arena's. Who are we kidding, if something like plexiglass gets erected the slider would just bounce off the glass and sent hurdling somewhere else. Tragic, indeed. Rest in peace.

edit: link for those who are curious; http://www.ctvolympics.ca/luge/news/new ... atal+crash

[QUOTE]The death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was a result of the athlete losing control of his sled and not an unsafe track, the International Luge Federation said Friday night in a statement.

The men's singles luge competition will take place as scheduled at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, after the completion of two practice runs. The luge federation did say that open it would raise the walls at the exit of curve 16 and shave down the ice, altering the sliding lines.

"It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16," the federation said in a statement. "This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident. The technical officials of the FIL were able to retrace the path of the athlete and concluded there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track. "[/QUOTE]
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frogger wrote: This is going to cause a lot of controversy over the host nation and whether we are responsible for his death. I really hope we didn't limit their practice runs to maintain a home team advantage.
We are. Get over it. And we blowed major time.
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OK, yes the crash was tragic but it is a dangerous sport. So what do we do now?? We shorten the course and add two more training runs so all the other countries can get a better chance of kicking our butt!!!! I am sorry, the athletes know the dangers and how that track has already hosted events at the full mens length. No one else has been killed under the same racing conditions. Driver error was the cause, they have gone over the top making sure any mishaps stay on the track. Why shorten it too?? The only lugers who are happy are the ones who don't stand a chance at the full speed version. Probably not Canadian decision but the IOC but it still sucks!!!!!

Go Canada Go!!!!!!!!!!

Pat.
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pricha00 wrote: OK, yes the crash was tragic but it is a dangerous sport. So what do we do now?? We shorten the course and add two more training runs so all the other countries can get a better chance of kicking our butt!!!! I am sorry, the athletes know the dangers and how that track has already hosted events at the full mens length. No one else has been killed under the same racing conditions. Driver error was the cause, they have gone over the top making sure any mishaps stay on the track. Why shorten it too?? The only lugers who are happy are the ones who don't stand a chance at the full speed version. Probably not Canadian decision but the IOC but it still sucks!!!!!

Go Canada Go!!!!!!!!!!

Pat.
Did you not readin the thing called news? Even a Canadian luger say the track is too fast too dangerous and suffered injuries from a crash at that track. Does it really need to have someone killed before those VANOC Aholes to wake up. Perhaps you should wipe off your canadian pride and see how foreign media are criticizing canada:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-berlin ... 61300.html
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Is anyone watching the live Luge right now? The last few racers seemed cautious. I'm glad they built up the barrier though.
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MarkIII wrote: Did you not readin the thing called news? Even a Canadian luger say the track is too fast too dangerous and suffered injuries from a crash at that track. Does it really need to have someone killed before those VANOC Aholes to wake up. Perhaps you should wipe off your canadian pride and see how foreign media are criticizing canada:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-berlin ... 61300.html
I don't give a crap what the foreign media is saying. Every competitor faces the same challenge and if extra speed separates the best from the also rans then so be it. All these guys have to right to say " NO ", no is putting a gun to their head to race down the track. Where will the ladies race from, the kiddies start??

Pat.
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MarkIII wrote: We are. Get over it. And we blowed major time.
Actually its been refuted today by other countries so it was an anonymous American being stupid.
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pricha00, how can you say such things?

It was obvious design flaw.
Not because it was too fast.
Not because it was too dangerous.

The only reason why this happened is because nobody had enough brains to understand that putting steel poles after a dangerous curve is retared idea.


A simple plastic barrier along side the steel poles was enough to prevent death.
If athlete flies out, he would hit the plastic and just fall off from height of 4-6 feet...nothing life threating.

To all people saying that at 150km/h doesn't matter what you hit, you will die anyways...REMEMBER he would have hit the barriers sideways resulting in minimal injuries.
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I am not saying there could have a better safety barrier but don't shorten the track now and take away the skill required to navigate the course at full speed. Now its just who has the best start and can slide gracefully, no more chance of a real screw up due to the speed. I am sorry but if our athletes have an advantage because of practice on the home course, good, every other winter games host has done exactly the same thing. I am getting sick and tired of Canada always being too nice, or too accommodating, at the disadvantage of their own athletes. Check out some of the mountains that are raced on in the ALps. Why isn't anyone asking Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland to maybe alter their mountains so ski racers don't get killed? Ski racers have died from crashes on those hills. They made better barriers but the didn't lop off the top of the mountain to slow the racers down.

Pat.
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jacksorbetta wrote: Is anyone watching the live Luge right now? The last few racers seemed cautious. I'm glad they built up the barrier though.
Agreed it does seem like it, but maybe they could just be feeling out the course before hammering it.
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Just heard they are shortening the track. Supposedly, many of the luge competitors said shortening the track was not necessary and alluded to the experience of Nodar Kumaritashvili that led to the crash.

The reporter also noted that they have had over 5000 runs on the Whistler track and the crash percentage is about the same as comparable tracks.
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Sure, it's a tragic death, but we don't even hear about average people who die tragically most of the time.
Anyways, the Olympic committee (or whoever) is changing things on the track to make it safer. Hopefully, all goes well.
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This infamous accident happened one year ago, tomorrow. I just watched a show about it on the Fifth Estate and I am quite disturbed.

Anyone else catch it?

RIP Nodar......

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