Olympic Luger Dies After Crash During Training Run

[HAOLE]

Very Sad!

*****VERY GRAPHIC******

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6202459n&tag=api

Edited February 13, 2010 by HAOLE

[sol740]

Terrible. Those steel posts don't have an ounce of padding on them. Though at 90mph how much padding would you need ?

[KillJoy]

Wow.... that is a GRAPHIC clip!

 

So sad....

 

 

KillJoy

[SuBieQT]

terrible way to start the olympics, so sad

[nurkvinny]

RIP

[CRAWDAD]

It looked like it decapitated him! EWWW

[a7x1990]

we'll be seeing skating rink glass on those tracks now.... dont know much about the sport but it seems he didn't straighten out soon enough. this really sucks. hope hes in peace now.

[TTQ B4U]

DAMN!!! The only upside to the whole thing is he likely had no clue what happened other than the initial oh-shit. No doubt he died instantly.

 

Sad but true is at least he died doing what he was passionate about. RIP man.

[Science Abuse]

Sad but true is at least he died doing what he was passionate about. RIP man.

He was racing. No motor, but he was racing, and we of all people owe him a moment of silence.

[jerrodh]

He was racing. No motor, but he was racing, and we of all people owe him a moment of silence.

 

Not that this is a funny subject but how you said this put a smile on my face cause its really true. Scene this on lunch at work crazy shit, seems as if it could have been avoided easily. If not some heavy padding as said some glass up the sides. I mean anything would be better than hitting a metal or concrete pillar at 88mph.

[Alex L.]

Yikes

[wnaplay1647545503]

Seeing someones life being taken even on video is hard to take sometimes. As stated at least he probably went doing what he loved.

[TTQ B4U]

If not some heavy padding as said some glass up the sides.

 

you're onto something there. I think there should have been some type of design in place to prevent an out of control air-born luger from flying into the poles or out of the slide.

[Science Abuse]

I don't think I've seen or heard of a luge wreck like this. I'd be suspicious of equipment failure on the luge itself. Looked like he drifted out of the last turn before the flip... a luge shouldn't be able to do that.

[GonneVille]

you're onto something there. I think there should have been some type of design in place to prevent an out of control air-born luger from flying into the poles or out of the slide.

 

The suggestion had apparently already been made. One of the people they interviewed said that some lugers who used to the facility in the last two years had said that the plywood walls above the chute on that stretch were too low. I'm thinking Lexan walls about four or five feet above the chute would have reduced this death to nothing more than a painful thump and a long slide.

 

It's interesting, because the guy they interviewed, who was on the scene when Kumaritashvili died, said he was also present when Scott Kalitta died, and made reference to the rules changes made in the NHRA.

[evan9381]

It's interesting, because the guy they interviewed, who was on the scene when Kumaritashvili died, said he was also present when Scott Kalitta died, and made reference to the rules changes made in the NHRA.

 

that dude needs to get the fuck away from sporting events where people go fast and have a risk of serious injury. he obviously carrys around some shit luck with him

[a7x1990]

that dude needs to get the fuck away from sporting events where people go fast and have a risk of serious injury. he obviously carrys around some shit luck with him

 

 

you stole the words right out of my mouth... i don't know how well this would help but maybe put a rounded cap on the top of the track? that way you will eliminate some wind resistance/drag including some cross winds that might occur, and reduce the likely hood of another horrific accident like this in the future, it would be just like your in a tube. and as by others, and including be before it would be a shatter proof Plexiglas/lexan cap. they should atleast put a big fence around it like at NASCAR tracks. if not the cap.

[HAOLE]

There was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track,” the International Luge Federation and the Vancouver Olympic Committee said in a joint statement.

 

What kind of statement is that? So a little padding on the steel post, or maybe a containment net is too much to ask?

[bahd-ler]

I saw this as it unfolded yesterday, but one of the "good morning" news shows played the clip this morning. I had no idea how sevre it was, I thought maybe he just hit his head hard or something. Horrible to watch. RIP

[zeitgeist57]

Apparently that track is notoriously hard on lugers...aside from that death, there were six other reported injuries in practices/qualifying over the last couple of weeks

[Mallard]

It's a very fast track and that makes it extremely dangerous. They need to put nets up in order to protect the riders.

[nismopc]

nevermind

[Science Abuse]

A padded steel beam will do the same thing as an unpadded beam at 90 mph; it will turn your innards to mush.

Lexan flexes, if it's not supported it could cut some one in half; the pannel you hit deflects, the one you slid into does not.

 

A fine woven net might work, it may rip off any limb that can fit through the links.

 

I still haven't found a video of a luge wreck that threw the rider off the course.

[RangerTurbo]

Lexan flexes, if it's not supported it could cut some one in half; the pannel you hit deflects, the one you slid into does not.

 

Over lap the last foot traveling away from the rider. It should flex both pieces and allow non intrusive sliding along the panels... in theory.

[Mallard]

Over lap the last foot traveling away from the rider. It should flex both pieces and allow non intrusive sliding along the panels... in theory.

Yeah, but a finely woven net will absorb energy from the rider, while glass/lexan will just keep the rider sliding along at a high rate of speed until they hit something else.