Luger Olympian passes away

YourDirtisMyfood

Just saw the video of that luger that hopped the barrier. Incredible. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Kevinman

Also just saw video. Absolutely horrible. A tough start to the games.

My prayers and thoughts also to all friends, family, and his country.

R.I.P.

Thoughts_Arrive

Yeah I just saw it on youtube and saw pics on a news site.
It happened so fast, it's hard to see how he crashes into the barrier.
At a blink of an eye.
Terrible.
RIP :(

YourDirtisMyfood

It looked like he just cleared the barrier and then struck the pole, possibly back first. They need to have padding on any object that is on or just off a course or track that competitors compete on. Obviously you're not going to do that for all trees with the skiiers, but those poles really need padding especially now for the lugers. There's been 3 accidents reported already with luging.

FenwayFaithful

I know. I just saw that too. So sad.

Thoughts_Arrive

I'd pull out of this event if I was competing as the track isn't safe.
They need padding, why have poles/beams there anyways???

keeponrockin

Horrible, just saw the video.

If it's any consolation, he went out doing what he loved.

pjfan31

It was so sad watching Georgia come out at the O.C. All the athletes were understandably very emotional.

mfc2006

wow. just heard about this. just wow...RIP

Thoughts_Arrive

I'm still shaken up by the CBS news footage on youtube.
Maybe they should take it down, it is too graphic.

keeponrockin

I just read he was going 88 mph at the time of the accident. Holy shit.

lukin2006

At those speeds hitting a pole, the human body don't stand much of a chance, padding or no padding, the lugers say this track is 20 km's to fast and very dangerous. It may be fast, but my guess is that luging is very dangerous to begin with. It's unfortunate this has happened and wish his team well and my thought are with his family and friends.

Bugs29

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

pickupyourwill

didn't see the video. don't want to, but read what happened. RIP for him, his family, team, and friends. very tragic indeed.

pjfan31

RM181658 wrote:

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

Well you look at sport, they are contantly trying to revolutionise it by making things 'bigger', 'better' 'faster'

It is really unfortunate this poor guy was a victim of this quest.

What got me the most, was seeing him at the top of the mountain (or what ever they call it), and just thinking, this guy doesn't know it yet, but he is just seconds away from his death. So sad.

Jo

RM181658 wrote:

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

Exactly. TV news here pulled the footage off air. But not before I saw it in an earlier issue.
If it was unsafe to start with, it should never have been allowed to go on.
Love and prayers sent to family and friends involved.

Thoughts_Arrive

pjfan31 wrote:

RM181658 wrote:

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

Well you look at sport, they are contantly trying to revolutionise it by making things 'bigger', 'better' 'faster'

It is really unfortunate this poor guy was a victim of this quest.

What got me the most, was seeing him at the top of the mountain (or what ever they call it), and just thinking, this guy doesn't know it yet, but he is just seconds away from his death. So sad.

Yeah that's so sad, so young.
Only one news program showed the footage in full (SBS News) the other chanels cut it out before the impact.

Thoughts_Arrive

pickupyourwill wrote:

didn't see the video. don't want to, but read what happened. RIP for him, his family, team, and friends. very tragic indeed.

Best you don't it left me feeling shit.
The photo's ain't any better.

Claireack

Haven't seen the video - don't think I want to. A terrible tragedy.

WaveCameCrashin

Thoughts_Arrive wrote:

I'm still shaken up by the CBS news footage on youtube.
Maybe they should take it down, it is too graphic.

agreed. Fox news wouldn't show it out of respect for his family

haffajappa

lukin2006 wrote:

At those speeds hitting a pole, the human body don't stand much of a chance, padding or no padding, the lugers say this track is 20 km's to fast and very dangerous. It may be fast, but my guess is that luging is very dangerous to begin with. It's unfortunate this has happened and wish his team well and my thought are with his family and friends.

I agree about the padding.

I think the point that most are starting to make is that when is enough enough and why do we keep having to outdo everything? The Whistler track is now the fastest in the world but at what point does it become dangerous to try and keep making them faster? I'd say about now... :shock:

YourDirtisMyfood

they've moved the track to slow it down.

haffajappa

I think a lot of damage has been done by this incident and by the ones before.
I was reading this article this morning: http://sports.ca.msn.com/olympics/artic ... d=23451044

"I had numerous crashes, which for me is new territory," said Hollingsworth. "In 14 years I'd only had two crashes. Here I crashed at every corner."

But the last one on Turn 16 was the worst.

"I hit the short wall and the sled came into my face and I got two stitches. That was the big thing for me. I had to stop training. My head just couldn't take it."

When she returned months later for team trials in October, her psyche rebelled. She began having anxiety attacks. Her body would not let her go up the hill.

She started lower down the course, in Turn 3 instead of from the top and it was only encouragement from teammates that eventually got her back up the mountain.

Enkidu

I was surprised that NBC showed the entire crash at the top of their Olympic coverage last night. My husband - who can be really cynical - said he thinks NBC will probably milk it, talk up the "dangerous" track to try to get more viewers. I'm not sure if I agree with him, but NBC is such a joke these days. And desperate times...

It's so terrible for the guy's family. The front page of the LA Times has a big color picture of him hitting the post. Stay classy, LA Times.

vedderfan10

RM181658 wrote:

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

That is so not fair to say Vancouver built this track the way they did for entertainment value! It was built to Olympic standards and tested to Olympic standards. The sport of Luge in inheirently dangerous. Level of experience also needs to be taken into account as well.

If you want to place blame for this horrible tragedy from yesterday...blame the IOC for allowing such dangerous sports in the first place...

There is nothing entertaining about the death of a young person that is "entertaining"...

haffajappa

Vedderfan10 wrote:

RM181658 wrote:

I can't help but feel like this guy was a victim of vancouver aspiring for more entertainment value by building this dangerous track that has raised so many complaints by people involved in the sport.

Apparantly this track is 15mph faster than any other track and it's vertical drop is 28m more than any other track as well. The day before this tragedy, several other well known lugers were crashing and complainingg about the dangers.

That is so not fair to say Vancouver built this track the way they did for entertainment value! It was built to Olympic standards and tested to Olympic standards. The sport of Luge in inheirently dangerous. Level of experience also needs to be taken into account as well.

If you want to place blame for this horrible tragedy from yesterday...blame the IOC for allowing such dangerous sports in the first place...

There is nothing entertaining about the death of a young person that is "entertaining"...

Well i think there is something to say for VANOC or the IOC to allow designers to push the limits... the question of when is enough enough probably gets lost in the desire for them to try and make olympics "bigger better faster stronger" :roll: