Died today on practise run at Whistler.

[LoneWolf_53]

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.

My initial thinking was along that line but then I figured there wouldn't be much to see which is when I began to wonder if they couldn't just make the top half transparent so that it would contain the users but still allow a visual.

What I don't know is whether there'd be an issue with the plexiglass or whatever transparent material was used fogging up due to the ice?

If so then at the very least they should make the really dangerous areas a full circle to prevent ejection.

[steven lloyd]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

[LoneWolf_53]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

My reaction as well.

Doing that implies that they never considered someone might actually be ejected from the course.

[Captain Awesome]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

To prevent more deaths due to error? I mean, sounds kind of evil (typical IOC), but somewhat makes sense. On the other hands, changes to the venue seem to be purely cosmetic:

[Captain Awesome]

What I don't know is whether there'd be an issue with the plexiglass or whatever transparent material was used fogging up due to the ice?

If so then at the very least they should make the really dangerous areas a full circle to prevent ejection.

I've had a discussion about it with a friend of mine. He seems to think that it would be impossible for an athlete to see anything in a tube and thus to compete successfully. Edges is what athletes aim for when sliding. Even if it was plexiglass, and completely clear (which I assume would be very hard to maintain). Also, I think tubes would make this sport waaaay faster than it is now.

[LoneWolf_53]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

To prevent more deaths due to error? I mean, sounds kind of evil (typical IOC), but somewhat makes sense. On the other hands, changes to the venue seem to be purely cosmetic:

Well now that I see it the modification does have the effect of extending the side of the course to keep the rider within, much the same as a tube configuration would.

The padding on the posts I'd venture to say is useless because again if someone was ejected out of the track and hit one of them they'd come to a sudden stop and the padding wouldn't do much in the way of saving them.

It's all about the angle of contact and if you hit an immovable object at 90 degrees you're going to come out the loser.

On the other hand if the angle is shallow and you can just glance off of the item (added protective course sidewall) and continue safely moving on you will expend that energy and see another day.

[Nebula]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

The official on the report said moving the start line had nothing to do with athlete safety; that it was mroe a psychological/emotional thing.

[steven lloyd]

The padding on the posts I'd venture to say is useless because again if someone was ejected out of the track and hit one of them they'd come to a sudden stop and the padding wouldn't do much in the way of saving them.

It's all about the angle of contact and if you hit an immovable object at 90 degrees you're going to come out the loser.

Yup. At one time I was involved with the sport of skydiving, and as a requirement I belonged to a National Sky Diving Association and received a regular newsletter. Within the back pages was an obituary of sorts, and almost all included the explanation, “Cause of death: Impact”.

[steven lloyd]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

The official on the report said moving the start line had nothing to do with athlete safety; that it was mroe a psychological/emotional thing.

Hmmm. So do you know if the bobsleds are still going from the top ? What about the skeleton
(I guess that might have similar considerations to the luge) ?

[Nebula]

It's never the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop at the end.

[logicalview]

If it was rider's error, why make changes to the venue ?

The official on the report said moving the start line had nothing to do with athlete safety; that it was mroe a psychological/emotional thing.

I'm going with our resident Canadian Olympic Luge Coach...

Canadian luge coach Wolfgang Staudinger says driver error, not the lightning-fast Whistler course, led to the death of a 21-year-old slider from Georgia in a training run crash at the Vancouver Olympics.

"It was not a track issue. It was a driver error — 100 per cent," the coach told The Canadian Press on Saturday, referring to the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. "There must have been a huge driving error."

*bleep*? He never mentioned corporate greed or Olympic underspending.

[mountain_climber4567]

After an investigation by the BC Coroner's Office, the RCMP, and the International Luge Federation, a decision was made to modify the track by altering the ice and having the men start their run at the women's start line. The shift in start location shortened the course by 176 metres.

Sad as they were about a colleague's death, many of the competitors lamented the ILF's decision saying a difficult course was now diminished.

"It is not what I like," said Austrian Manuel Pfister. "It is too slow, from the start to [corner] 11."

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/joeoco ... -slow.html

[flamingfingers]

After an investigation by the BC Coroner's Office, the RCMP, and the International Luge Federation, a decision was made to modify the track by altering the ice and having the men start their run at the women's start line. The shift in start location shortened the course by 176 metres.

Sad as they were about a colleague's death, many of the competitors lamented the ILF's decision saying a difficult course was now diminished.

"It is not what I like," said Austrian Manuel Pfister. "It is too slow, from the start to [corner] 11."

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/joeoco ... -slow.html

I agree with Manuel Pfister: The men's teams have all trained on the longer course. Altering it will alter their approach and attitude. Not a good situation. Of course, if we want to make everything 'safe' and devoid of the challenge we should scrap everything that could ever possibly harm anyone. Some people live for the risk-taking challenge. Have at.

[logicalview]

Maybe they should just race uphill.

[flamingfingers]

Maybe they should just race uphill.

HAHAHAHA! What a VISUAL! Pushing those little sleds up an icy tube would be a REAL challenge, eh?