Died today on practise run at Whistler.

[LoneWolf_53]

What killed the poor lad wasn't the speed so much as the sudden stop.

People think this while driving their vehicles as well.
As if the speed has nothing to do with how hard and fast you stop.

Speed has everything to do with survival rates when crashing.
It changes the trajectory and the impact.

Let me spell it out since it's apparently necessary.

The Luger made some sort of mistake and crashed and his death was the result of hitting a stationary object.

Now were the course designed to contain the Luger in the event of a mistake then he might well have a few bumps and bruises but his body would have continued sliding down the track using up the inertia instead of expending it on a pole with predictable consequences.

[prairieflower]

My heart goes out to the family and team members from the country of Georgia. Such a very sad and tragic accident. Which it was, a simple accident that caused a young man to lose his life.

They interviewed the Minister of Sport from Georgia this morning on Global and he had made a very good statement. This young man had been here in BC for the past 30 days. He had run this course many times without incident. He may have been young and fairly new to the sport, but he had the opportunity to train on this track for the past month.

In a sport like luge, with the incredible speeds that the athletes go, accidents will happen. Look at the number of more experienced lugers that "crashed" yesterday as well.

This awful accident will hopefully make the IOC look at better safety standards for tracks such as this. Like plexiglass walls or something similar to keep the athletes in the track instead of out.

[Captain Awesome]

This awful accident will hopefully make the IOC look at better safety standards for tracks such as this. Like plexiglass walls or something similar to keep the athletes in the track instead of out.

I wonder if anything would really help this man. When you slide head first at 145km/hr, do you really stand a chance when you hit something? You can hit a wall of pillows, and still die.

[LoneWolf_53]

This awful accident will hopefully make the IOC look at better safety standards for tracks such as this. Like plexiglass walls or something similar to keep the athletes in the track instead of out.

Exactly what I've been getting at.

We have the technology to keep the participant from ever coming out of the track in the first place so it seems the most logical solution.

Keep the body inside the track and there's no need for pillows or any other safety measure outside the track.

[flamingfingers]

This awful accident will hopefully make the IOC look at better safety standards for tracks such as this. Like plexiglass walls or something similar to keep the athletes in the track instead of out.

Exactly what I've been getting at.

We have the technology to keep the participant from ever coming out of the track in the first place so it seems the most logical solution.

Keep the body inside the track and there's no need for pillows or any other safety measure outside the track.

And you are telling me that if your body smacks a plexiglass wall at 140 kph you are not going to die??

[Cateyes]

Yawwnnnn. They put up a plywood wall, problem solved. There should have been netting or plexiglass there to begin with. Not sure how it got overlooked.

Putting padding on steel beams? That is just dumb. At 130km/hr it doesn't matter what you put on the beams.

[Nebula]

At 130km/hr it doesn't matter what you put on the beams.

Oh, I dunno... tie a few black-clad punks to the poles. They should take the impact quite well.

[LoneWolf_53]

This awful accident will hopefully make the IOC look at better safety standards for tracks such as this. Like plexiglass walls or something similar to keep the athletes in the track instead of out.

Exactly what I've been getting at.

We have the technology to keep the participant from ever coming out of the track in the first place so it seems the most logical solution.

Keep the body inside the track and there's no need for pillows or any other safety measure outside the track.

And you are telling me that if your body smacks a plexiglass wall at 140 kph you are not going to die??

You couldn't possibly demonstrate your ignorance any better.

If you're sliding down a tube what's to hit?

Maybe try and take a shot at reading and processing before choking on your coffee and laughing prematurely due to lack of comprehension skills.

I've never said anything about a "wall" I said they could use plexiglass to cover the track on those dangerous corners. As in curved to go over the top and create a tube.

You do know what at tube is don't you?

[flamingfingers]

^^ Yep, a tube is filled with emptiness. Like your head if you even remotely think a person can bail at 140 kph in a tube or anything else and not suffer devastating damage to their bodies.

Or do you think they can just blissfully keep sliding, tumbling or rolling like a ball and cunningly end up unscathed - at 140 kph. Maybe some basic physics reading would be helpful so that you can understand what happens to a body at velocity, that DOES NOT remain in a perfect state of 'sliding'.

Sheesh!!!

[Graham Adder]

I am sad and sorry for this man's family and friends abroad. What a tragedy and truly a life taken too soon.
I agree there are ways to keep the people on/in the track.
Smooth transition lines from track to 'glass' and smooth seams where all things meet.
As it is any approach angles traveled by the athlete are going to be very minimal. By keeping all lines and seams smooth, you'll minimize and 'catapulting' from hitting a bump.
They've done a good job of keeping these athletes safe in the big picture, but this accident does show there is room for improvement.
I hope they find solutions and implement changes so we never have to witness such an awful loss on TV or in person again.

I watched this on the news well after the event. I didn't actually think they'd show it happen, nor was I expecting it. It through me for a loop when I saw it take place.
I didn't need to see that.
I got the picture without seeing it.
The news I watched gave no warning.
I would have liked a warning.
At least then you're mentally braced for the visual you are about to subject yourself to.
Just my take on 'it'.

[LoneWolf_53]

^^ Yep, a tube is filled with emptiness. Like your head if you even remotely think a person can bail at 140 kph in a tube or anything else and not suffer devastating damage to their bodies.

Or do you think they can just blissfully keep sliding, tumbling or rolling like a ball and cunningly end up unscathed - at 140 kph. Maybe some basic physics reading would be helpful so that you can understand what happens to a body at velocity, that DOES NOT remain in a perfect state of 'sliding'.

Sheesh!!!

Ummm.......... talk to the Italian that wiped out but stayed within the confines of the course and if the light doesn't come on then You ought to just give it up as your grade two education is clearly hampering your grasp of the situation.

If the person is contained within the track and NOT EJECTED from it he'll continue on down the course albeit perhaps bumped and bruised but FATAL SUDDEN STOP gets removed from the equation.

[flamingfingers]

^^ Yah, sure.

[steven lloyd]

Ever watch Cafe Motorcycle racing? Guys drop their bikes doing over 240 km/hour and go sliding along the pavement, initially at 240 km/hour until they finally come to a stop. Then they stand up, dust off their suits and wave to the crowd.

[Captain Awesome]

Here is a question. Why not make the whole track a giant tube? Might not be so spectator-friendly, but at least nobody would be flying out over the edge.

[Nebula]

Well, officials announced that the accident was caused by rider error. They have also decided that the men will not take off from the top of the run but will instead start their run from the women's gate.