[residentEvil]

Georgia republic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after training crash over wall at Whistler - ESPN

(or take your news outlet pick)

what a dumbass design; the structure, etc around the worlds fastest luge curve ever...

video: Watch Luge Training Accident - Vancouver 2010 Video | Break.com

[Jawbone54]

Horrible...

We always forget how lethal some of these sports can be. Something can go wrong in a split-second and jar us back to reality. Thoughts and prayers to the family.

And yes, that design is ridiculous. This could be a very big problem for Vancouver.

[residentEvil]

i realize athletes push themselves and each other more and more; to win and be on top in the biggest stage of their sport. and not just luge, you are right...things can go wrong in a slit-second.

but this didn't need to happen. this rests solely on the designer(s) and the ones who approved the structure. come on, really?

[imitchellg5]

Yeah. Come on Canada

[ThinkInsane]

Wow, that really sucks. I wonder how fast he was actually going when he hit

[Eriamjh]

I don't think they have nearly enough steel poles to stop the lugers from getting off the tracks when they crash.

I cannot believe that those walls aren't taller or those poles aren't padded.

[residentEvil]

i don't think padding the poles would help. maybe the plexi they use around hockey rinks; so the luge runners would stay inside the track. contain them better.

[sek929]

Wow, that video was brutal.

Maybe a couple of sheets of plywood blocking off those exposed steel beams guys? Jesus.

[downinflames68]

Jesus. That is poor design. If they are going to put a structure there, fine, do it, but put a wall all the way up it, so if someone does lose it, they just keep skittering down the pipe. Massive design FAIL.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Jesus. That is poor design. If they are going to put a structure there, fine, do it, but put a wall all the way up it, so if someone does lose it, they just keep skittering down the pipe. Massive design FAIL.

They don't want to interfere with the oh-so-exciting camera placement. What's a Georgian or two versus ratings?

[downinflames68]

Too soon?

Picture of the rider in the process of impacting the steel columns removed...because it is too soon.

[Doc Juansinn]

The design is unsafe. I wonder if the German designer had any safety concerns, or whether he considered only speed.

[moonmonkey]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Too soon?

Yes.

[Jawbone54]

I've never understood the luge/bobsled/skeleton events. It just seems like a very bad idea.

Of course, I'd hate to see the numbers on how many people's lives have been irreversibly changed or even ended by injuries sustained during football.

[downinflames68]

Soccer > Football. Football is a fat american sport.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Yeah. Come on Canada

Canada? Seriously? A tragic accident happens and that's the mud you chose to sling? At the very least do a little research before making a dumb comment like that.

[ghporter]

The official line is basically "pilot error." The organizers say the luge rider came out of turn 15 late which made his entry into 16 late, and while he tried to compensate, it wasn't enough. Now is it just me or is this 90MPH luge track something like 40% faster than any previous track? If it's even 20% faster, that means that NOBODY has enough experience on such a fast track to be able to gauge speed and turn entry/exit. From what I've read, Kumaritashvili was a very good rider, even within Olympic-level circles. So how could a very good rider make such a relatively minor timing error and wind up dying?

The answer to that is those stupid steel pillars that support something like a walkway over the track. In the past, people have been hurt, sometimes badly, by flying off the luge track. They wind up with some pretty serious orthopedic injuries like multiple broken bones, even spinal fractures. But they don't die at the trauma center a short time after their accidents. The track IS at fault, not really because of how fast it is but because of the stupid pillars around it. They don't need padding, they need to not be there at all.

[Wiskedjak]

Sure, "pilot error" resulted in the crash. Design error resulted in the death.

[Eug]

Yep. Pilot error, but that design isn't very good.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

Now is it just me or is this 90MPH luge track something like 40% faster than any previous track?

Seems like 90mph is a common speed on artificial tracks.
HowStuffWorks "How Luge Works"

[Sealobo]

wow... that's a ****ed up course design...

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by Dr. Wahnsinn 

The design is unsafe. I wonder if the German designer had any safety concerns, or whether he considered only speed.

Originally Posted by ghporter 

The official line is basically "pilot error."

I suppose "pilot error" sounds better than "it's the German guy's fault", as if they left the German designer all alone for months and months to build the track all by himself, with no oversight whatsoever by Canadian officials.

Did the German guy also design the flame cauldron that malfunctioned (during opening ceremony) without any oversight? If so, my money is on the German guy being deported ASAP.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by gradient 

Canada? Seriously? A tragic accident happens and that's the mud you chose to sling? At the very least do a little research before making a dumb comment like that.

Hi, can I introduce you to sarcasm...

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

i don't think padding the poles would help. maybe the plexi they use around hockey rinks; so the luge runners would stay inside the track. contain them better.

Padding the pole?! DId you see the video? when you are flying at 150k / hour it really won't matter what you hit you're screwed.

No matter how you design the course if you fall off at the wrong time you are getting launched. If he didn't hit that pole he could have hit a tree 500m away and it would have still killed him.

Pretty stupid and unsafe sport to begin with. I mean who thinks it is a good idea to slide down ice going that fast wearing nothing but tights and a crappy faceplate.

[Rumor]

Padding the pole wouldn't help at that speed. Especially when initial contact was with his testicles.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Hi, can I introduce you to sarcasm...

Ok, sorry, my bad.

[gradient]

Originally Posted by Rumor 

Padding the pole wouldn't help at that speed. Especially when initial contact was with his testicles.

Padding the poles would also be a admission of a design flaw, opening up anyone who had anything to do with the design to legal action. Sad but true.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Padding the pole?! DId you see the video? when you are flying at 150k / hour it really won't matter what you hit you're screwed.

No matter how you design the course if you fall off at the wrong time you are getting launched. If he didn't hit that pole he could have hit a tree 500m away and it would have still killed him.

Pretty stupid and unsafe sport to begin with. I mean who thinks it is a good idea to slide down ice going that fast wearing nothing but tights and a crappy faceplate.

The most obvious solution would to have a chain-link fence around the perimeter. I've been to a bobsled track that had that, I don't see why this track wouldn't.

But yeah, it's probably the stupidest idea for a sport ever in terms of safety.

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Padding the pole?! DId you see the video? when you are flying at 150k / hour it really won't matter what you hit you're screwed.

No matter how you design the course if you fall off at the wrong time you are getting launched. If he didn't hit that pole he could have hit a tree 500m away and it would have still killed him.

Pretty stupid and unsafe sport to begin with. I mean who thinks it is a good idea to slide down ice going that fast wearing nothing but tights and a crappy faceplate.

i said padding the pole wouldn't help. Did you read my post? and yes i saw the video, i'm the one that posted so it really won't matter what you say in the rest of your post cause you're screwed.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

But yeah, it's probably the stupidest idea for a sport ever in terms of safety.

Nope. It can only claim second place for that honor. Stupider is doing the exact same thing *head first*.

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Padding the pole?! DId you see the video?

Did you read what he wrote? He agrees with you. He was saying using some polycarb would help, right there. If you fly up, you just keep skittering down the track, instead of instant death.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

Nope. It can only claim second place for that honor. Stupider is doing the exact same thing *head first*.

You'd still have to be mental

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

Nope. It can only claim second place for that honor. Stupider is doing the exact same thing *head first*.

actually, i would prefer the Skeleton (head first) then the luge...for purely steering/visual help. feet first looking over your package (guys) or pontoons (gals) isn't the best way watch where you need to go

[downinflames68]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

actually, i would prefer the Skeleton (head first) then the luge...for purely steering/visual help. feet first looking over your package (guys) or pontoons (gals) isn't the best way watch where you need to go

Yeah, but I think it'd hurt your neck to look upwards like that. But I guess your right, I mean, my package is SO huge, it would kind of block the view. Maybe I could use it for steering or something.

[residentEvil]

extra ballast? hahahaha

[lpkmckenna]

There have been safety complaints for months about this course. Too bad no one listened.

[MacinTommy]

Thanks ghporter for deleting that pic. Pretty f*cked up and tasteless if you ask me.

[Captain Obvious]

unfortunate

but I can't imagine that there is any other reason people watch this but for the occasional wipeouts. It has the same lure for people as NASCAR and Indy.

[spacefreak]

I just read that Nodar's Ukrainian teammate has withdrawn from the competition. Instead, the guy is walking around the grounds, wearing a black armband.

To each their own, but I think that's pretty weak. If he wants to honor Nodar, he should aim to finish the course in competition. Even if sliding down at a really slow speed, I think it would have been the right thing to do. Not for me or the media or anyone else, but for the teammate himself. He might end up kicking himself for a long time for deciding to withdraw.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

i said padding the pole wouldn't help. Did you read my post? and yes i saw the video, i'm the one that posted so it really won't matter what you say in the rest of your post cause you're screwed.

yes i did.
"i don't think padding the poles would help. maybe the plexi they use around hockey rinks; so the luge runners would stay inside the track. contain them better."

My responce;
"Padding the pole?! DId you see the video? when you are flying at 150k / hour it really won't matter what you hit you're screwed.

Poll, 3 foot thick mattress, wont matter at that speed with that outfit. Really stupid unsafe sport but there the one where you go down head first is even worse

[Chongo]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

Really stupid unsafe sport but there the one where you go down head first is even worse

It's called, of all things, "Skeleton" and another called "Cresta"
Skeleton (sport) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cresta Run - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by downinflames68 

Soccer > Football. Football is a fat american sport.

Yeah, in soccer they only pretend to get hurt. I'd rather watch curling than soccer.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES 

yes i did.
"i don't think padding the poles would help. maybe the plexi they use around hockey rinks; so the luge runners would stay inside the track. contain them better."

My responce;
"Padding the pole?! DId you see the video? when you are flying at 150k / hour it really won't matter what you hit you're screwed.

Poll, 3 foot thick mattress, wont matter at that speed with that outfit. Really stupid unsafe sport but there the one where you go down head first is even worse

That's why he said he didn't think it would help.

You have a rather belligerent way of ag(g)reeing.

[analogue SPRINKLES]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

That's why he said he didn't think it would help.

You have a rather belligerent way of ag(g)reeing.

Hey, you win some, you Luge some.

[downinflames68]

AhahAHhahhahahahaahahahaha.

[mduell]

1080p video (20MB) from my TiVo if anyone wants to see it.

Regardless of the track speed (NBC's sliding guy said it averages 90mph while most average 80), it appears to be a horrible design with bare I beams at the corner exit. Obviously exiting the track was a concern because they had small (8"?) raised barriers near that section.

Using the ladies start (wtf did they have a different start anyway?) makes the first half of the track really boring.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by spacefreak 

I just read that Nodar's Ukrainian teammate has withdrawn from the competition. Instead, the guy is walking around the grounds, wearing a black armband.

To each their own, but I think that's pretty weak. If he wants to honor Nodar, he should aim to finish the course in competition. Even if sliding down at a really slow speed, I think it would have been the right thing to do. Not for me or the media or anyone else, but for the teammate himself. He might end up kicking himself for a long time for deciding to withdraw.

Better than being dead.

[spacefreak]

Lugers can use their feet to slow themselves significantly, so I think he could have made it down OK.

However, I do recognize that the official position on the matter is crap, so perhaps that is reason more to say "screw this whole thing".

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Many ski race courses are difficult and infamous for being dangerous to skiers. At the end of the day, having a luger come out of the track is almost unheard-of; this guy was young, and by all accounts quite inexperienced for what he was doing and especially for that particular track.

Terrible combination, and a sad start for the Olympics.

greg

[spacefreak]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

At the end of the day, having a luger come out of the track is almost unheard-of; this guy was young, and by all accounts quite inexperienced for what he was doing and especially for that particular track.

I think it's been well documented that this isn't your standard run-of-the-mill track. After all, the lugers themselves named the 16th turn "50-50" before the tragedy even occurred. Such a nickname doesn't lead me to believe that it was just one luger having problems with the track...

.

The day before the Georgian died, Sweeney had a near identical crash on the 16th curve. "It was almost the exact same crash," said (US Coach Ron) Rossi, "but she didn't go so high."

Sweeney says she has tried to wipe away the incident but conceded: "There's something missing up here, I'm not going to lie to you."

Her boss says it is a failure to read the gravest warning signs. "They knew they had problems from day one. They had people hitting the wall and going airborne. If you were already concerned about it and you already raised the wall, why didn't you keep going? And why didn't you protect the [metal] posts at the chance that maybe something could happen?

.

Vancouver's quick descent from high ground - Olympics, Sport - The Independent