Olympic Contestant Dead On Track

[NastyEllEssWon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5lAS7H6tkg&feature=player_embedded





insane.

[Fast92RS]

I watched that last night. That is crazy.

[Tsar]

I felt horrible for the dude, he was probably ready to have the time of his life, and BAM - lights out...

[Mike]

i cant believe cbs ran the footage...... nasty would you mind if i switch it with a news report minus the chilling video cuts?

[BonzoHansen]

Very sad story.

i cant believe cbs ran the footage...... nasty would you mind if i switch it with a news report minus the chilling video cuts?

That is the way it is today. Gore sells. I saw this last night

http://www.twitvid.com/34A88

Watch at your own risk, but it's a persons last breaths. Not bloody, not gory, just sad. I hope this spurs some changes in the luge track.

The Huff link below has some pretty disturbing shots...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/nodar-kumaritashvili-cras_n_460474.html

[LS1Hawk]

I saw that last night. I was shocked they actually showed the footage of him. And I am equally shocked that there are steel beams exposed like that along side a 90+ mph track. Although at that speed, I don't know if padding would have made more of a difference depending on how he hit the beam.

They said he was pronounced dead in the afternoon. Was he actually alive after the crash? I thought he died instantly.

[BonzoHansen]

There needs to be like plexiglass all along there to keep people in. But hindsight is 20/20

[Mike]

There needs to be like plexiglass all along there to keep people in. But hindsight is 20/20

then they would have bounced off the plexi at 90+ and then come back down and hit the ice without scrubbing much speed off......

luge, skulling, and bobsledding are all incredibly insane, and incredibly dangerous sports, add to that that this is the fastest and most dangerous track in the world, and its a "perfect storm" so to speak... at those speeds, padding wouldnt have helped, plexi wouldnt have helped......those poles should be moved about 10 yards further from the track, and they should use net type catches to try and reduce speed in the event of an off track crash....

[Fast92RS]

I think he was dead instantly. They probably pronouced him later because they didnt want to have the body laying there.

[LTb1ow]

On the news last night they were saying Vancouver had not heeded the advice of people and neglected to add my plywood around the track to keep lugers on the track...

When I saw that clip it was def a collective, ouuuchhh going round with the family.. that guy got pretty messed up.

[NastyEllEssWon]

yeah sorry if i offended anyone with the video. i figured since it made the news (saw the footage on tv after my gf told me) that it might be alright here since its not a blatant snuff film but rather current events of some tragic and avoidable event.



either way, all the safety precautions in the world cant stop someone from breaking their necks....especially with luge where your basically careening down an ice pipeline on nothing more than a little sled at breakneck (no pun intended, just lack of better words) speed. although plexiglass or wood would be a big step up from steel girders

[deadtrend1]

do the "Skeletons" go just as fast? Just head first?

[alamantia]

then they would have bounced off the plexi at 90+ and then come back down and hit the ice without scrubbing much speed off......


True that, but hed be alive right now.

[BonzoHansen]

then they would have bounced off the plexi at 90+ and then come back down and hit the ice without scrubbing much speed off......

.I dunno. He was off the thing, he'd scrub speed from that. I'd rather take my chances sliding down the track towards the end vs hitting a steel girder. as auto racing tells us, its the dissipation of energy that matters.

[NastyEllEssWon]

im sure plenty of those lugers have scrubbed many many many times before getting it right. im with scott on this. id rather take my chances with the ice over a steel girder.

[ryanfx]

It's a complete shame it had to happen, especially so young, but at the very least he checked out while doing something he absolutely loved. RIP =(