Olympics Luge

As an architect I cannot believe they allowed those skull crushing steel posts to sit right outside the track, ready to catch a vulnerable head or limb. Also, this track generates average speeds 15 MPH above those of other tracks. Really inexcusable.

I totally agree, there is some serious negligance with the safety at that venue. The NBC opening coverage played comments from a guy suggesting the athlete was too "inexperienced". Many are praying this incident doesn't ruin the games, so I can see them trying to make up excuses. Seems unlikely the luge can continue there without major modifications to that part of the track.

Tragedy, but he was only on the "B curcuit" on the world cup. Very inexperienced in terms of world class lugers. Freak accident, that is all.

Have they ever heard of plexy glass for god's sake!? Would it not look good? What's the reasoning?

Seriouslly wrote:

Tragedy, but he was only on the "B curcuit" on the world cup. Very inexperienced in terms of world class lugers. Freak accident, that is all.

no, it wasn't a "freak" accident. They have had several accidents on that track already.

As another poster said, it is patently absurd that they have a row of steel posts along the outside of that turn. There is absolutely no reason they couldn't make something that either keeps an "ejected" athlete on the ice track, or flying into something that gives them a chance of survival.

Just because he was on the 'B Circuit' doesn't make him totally inexperienced. They still use the same tracks and travel at essentially the same speed as the top guys.

Once again we see that guns don't kill people. The Olympics kill people.

The video was already all over the place along with pictures. They had an obligation to show it and to show what an idiotic design that was for a track that fast...

I feel bad for his family and for Georgia but gravity sports, motor sports, leisure activities, horseys, and guns do not belong in the Olympic Games.

So maybe what they should do is redesign the boundaries of the luge tracks and rename these boundaries (for greater chance of survival) in the guy's memory. That's what I'd do.

What exactly is B circuit? We shouldn't diss him for that. In our sport, just because someone is on a " B" 4x800m relay team or an olympics 10k alternate or something doesn't mean he/she is less experienced. It more often means he/she is slightly less talented or something...

Actually it was a "freak" accident. Over 2 years they have had over 5000 runs without any injury. Now they over react by making them start on the women's course and building a ten foot high barrier. a

MarathonMind wrote:

As an architect I cannot believe they allowed those skull crushing steel posts to sit right outside the track, ready to catch a vulnerable head or limb. Also, this track generates average speeds 15 MPH above those of other tracks. Really inexcusable.

Exactly my sentiments on this. If they continue to run without adding a barrier, and factoring in the other accidents and the higher speed involved, I think there is a significant risk of another death. But probably not enough to stop the show - this is where the experts come in and make excuses.

Unbelievable... wrote:

I absolutely cannot believe NBC showed video of the actually luge run death of the Georgian athlete, including him hitting the pole. unbelievable...

I agree completely. The Wall Street Journal site had a slide show with pictures of the whole incident including one of the luger's bloody body laying on the ground after the crash. I think they removed that picture after a number of complaints, but they kept the photos of the man hitting the pole. The fact that we have freedom of the press does not mean that you should show every damn thing you can get a picture of. Exercise some tact and restraint and have some respect for the man's family and friends.

Another thing about the media coverage of this event. Comments on the story on the WSJ site suggest that the death was announced in the media before the man's family was notified. I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, it is a pretty classless decision by the news sources.

Seriouslly wrote:

...and building a ten foot high barrier. a

and why couldn't they have done this before? when people are sliding downhill at 90mph, there is no reason to have a bunch of metal posts running along the course. particularly when it seems to be the general consensus that this track is the fastest ever, and people had already raised concerns.

Now we have a bunch of luge experts on the board.

You guys have enough trouble posting on a subject your actually supposed to know something about. Why would you think your opinion in this matter would make sense?

Prices Double wrote:

I feel bad for his family and for Georgia but gravity sports, motor sports, leisure activities, horseys, and guns do not belong in the Olympic Games.

I agree.

It is not an athletic event.

Prices Double wrote:

I feel bad for his family and for Georgia but gravity sports, motor sports, leisure activities, horseys, and guns do not belong in the Olympic Games.

I agree.

It is not an athletic event.

Ess Gee Ess wrote:

Now we have a bunch of luge experts on the board.

You guys have enough trouble posting on a subject your actually supposed to know something about. Why would you think your opinion in this matter would make sense?

so it takes a lack of common sense to be a luge expert?