Bobsledder dies in olympic practice

[OracleHCR]

Would you want people broadcasting how your loved one died? It's just me, but I wouldn't want that kind of footage being posted on the Internet within minutes of my dying....

As for the track, I'm not saying it's unsafe because someone died; I'm saying it's unsafe because that is what the lugers themselves have been talking about all week--the safety of this run.

I agree with you and was insinuating that the broadcasting of it on tv was classless.

[shel311]

I just started watching the Opening Ceremonies.

I don't really care either way, but I am shocked that they showed it a couple of times, even in slow motion.

Man, that was intense.

[Nole4real]

So I guess this guy will be the new face of "The Agony of defeat".

All the old folks out there will know what I'm talkin bout Willis(ton).

[buckeye76]

I just started watching the Opening Ceremonies.

I don't really care either way, but I am shocked that they showed it a couple of times, even in slow motion.

Man, that was intense.

yeah i agree....

[jsence2]

He's not the only one who had a fatal or near-fatal experience with the track.....

Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

[buckeye76]

yeah the cleveland and columbus news stations showed the video in slow motion.....Jesus, he hit an unpadded steel beam head on. EMS crews were right there and on the scene in less than seconds after he came off the track and hit the beam. A very intense video....cant believe they keep showing it.

[ICE]

I'm honestly amazed by this whole thing. Tracks now are designed to not have the athlete leave the track. A bobsled left the track in Germany in 03 and killed the driver, but the time before that was in the early 80's. I feel terrible for the country of Georgia and for his family. I almost died in a crash in February of 02, days before the Salt Lake opening ceremonies. I was in a drug induced coma for 3 days, given 72 hours to live and said that if I did live then I would never be the same. My sled never left the track and I was still messed up like I was. To watch this, and have actually seen luge athletes go down the track, been in a crash myself, it honestly sends chills down my spine.

This track is very fast and very technical. I have not slid down this track myself, but I know several people who have. The thing that the average person doesn't realize is that the home country gets as many trips as possible on the Olympic track and the other nations have very limited access to a track. This usually just plays to home field advantage, but in this case the track is extremely fast and technical so the smaller nations of the world that have no home track to practice on aren't quite ready for this type of a track. To make a big deal about the gold medal favorite crashing is one thing, but when you are in practice, you are going to try new lines and attempt to steer less on the way down the track. Steering creates friction and slows you down, so you want to steer as little as possible on the way down the track.

Luge athletes are the only sled that goes down the track in which they can put their sled anywhere they want it. Bobsledders and Skeleton athletes can only steer at certain points on the way down the track, so they have far more limited control. Luge is also the fastest of the three and it is by far the most dangerous. Then comes bobsled, and last and by far the safest is Skeleton. Although it looks insane, the Skeleton is the slowest of all the sleds, it is only 3 inches off the ice providing a very low center of gravity and difficult to flip. If you do flip, you can roll back over onto the sled. They say that on most tracks around the world that you can place a sack of potatoes on a sled and it will make it down just fine.

People talk about the safety of the track and that the bar was unpadded. First off, he hit this bar going 88 mph, I don't care if it is padded or not, secondly if he doesn't hit that then he flies onto an unpadded road. The fact is that most athletes don't leave the track, the wood that he almost stopped when he got on top of it is designed to keep him in the track. The bad thing is that it wasn't quite high enough to stop him. The track in Park City has sent well over 200,000 sleds and never had anyone leave the track, these sports have risk to them however and call me nuts or whatever, but I love them. This is a tragic accident that hopefully will have some things change in the sports and it makes me sick to lose a fellow slider because of it. I wish the best for his family, country and friends and honestly hope that they take his crash video and pictures down asap, there is no need for those to be out and around. If you have any questions or concerns, I will try my best to explain the to you. I'll be at that track on the 27 and 28th.

[DRiccio21]

cool explanation... thx ice

[ICE]

Just heard today that they are lowering the men's starting point to that of the women's. I've heard rumors that they are going to lower the women's as well, but don't honestly know how that could be done. A quote from one of the US Lugers, "Well the track is easier from that point and honestly, well, it's boring. However everyone is safe, so there are good with the bad." Should be interesting when they air the first 2 runs later on tonight.

[Matt90210]

Just watched the video. He got fucked up. Screw that "sport."