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Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after crash
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speedpop said:
Officials are already coming out and saying that the track is too fast, calling it a "planning mistake", and other athletes are also worried about it. One basically referred to it as a track for "crash-test dummies".
This isn't just some random accident. There have been other incidents with that track as well.
Combine a track that's too fast with metal pillars jutting out alongside it and you have a recipe for inevitable disaster.
Exactly. I wouldn't be quick to call it a freak accident, but at the same time they do use standards in assessing whether or not a track is acceptable.KHarvey16 said:
I'll just add that maybe they need to take more care in their assessments and try and account for corners like these, perhaps adding higher, transparent walls. What's the harm? Viewers can still see through it and you can better prevent potential tragedies like these.
Ultimately, the governing body is trying to mediate the tension between excitement and safety. Perhaps they went too far in one direction. I don't know.
These two news articles posted a day before this accident shows how dangerous the track was thought to be.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=411376.html#romanian+luger+knocked+unconscious
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=411107.html#austrian+luger+hits+nearly+practice
Seen a few luge wipeouts, but they usually don't crash out of the track.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=411376.html#romanian+luger+knocked+unconscious
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=411107.html#austrian+luger+hits+nearly+practice
Seen a few luge wipeouts, but they usually don't crash out of the track.
SpectreFire
Member
Variable said:
We're not saying we're experts, but frankly, if you've seen the video, those exposed pillars were just completely stupid. There should be absolutely no reason why they couldn't erect a wall between those pillars and the track. Having them exposed like that and right next to the track just literally screams for something like this to happen.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Very tragic, but I don't really see the point in blaming the track designs. You fly off a tiny sled at 90 MPH with no protection other than a helmet, you're very likely screwed anyways. Luge and Skeleton are probably two the two most dangerous sports in the Olympics. The people who compete in them know the risks and that these things can happen. I'm not suggesting for an instant the the guy deserved it for competing in such a sport, just that the risks are known.
Epsilon-delta
Banned
ZephyrFate
Banned
:lol :lol :lol :lol :lolSlurmer said:
InsertCredit
Member
oh god, i'm going straight to hell.Slurmer said:
Cereal KiIIer
Member
Wow :lol :lol :lol :lolSlurmer said:
ZephyrFate
Banned
Sorry EviLore.
Maximus.
Member
The track was passed off, not like VANOC went along and built their own luge track without going through proper procedures. As i said in the other thread its sad to hear that this happened :/
Also, some of you guys shouldnt jump to conclusions, he lost control from reports and unfortunately hit beams holding up the sun roof. Larger walls may have helped, they may not have. Luge is a real dangerous sport and im sure all the athletes who participate are fully aware of that.
Its a shame he died at such a young age though..
Also, some of you guys shouldnt jump to conclusions, he lost control from reports and unfortunately hit beams holding up the sun roof. Larger walls may have helped, they may not have. Luge is a real dangerous sport and im sure all the athletes who participate are fully aware of that.
Its a shame he died at such a young age though..
perfectchaos007
Member
Foov said:
I doubt they will show it on American TV. They don't like to show death
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and if you were and engineer, you'd know that Statics is usually part of core engineering. I say again, these things aren't put in there to support phantom structures. Those pillars are loaded, hence they are there for a reason.Artadius said:
If you think I find this funny, then come over to the Motorsport thread some time. THESE ARE THE ACCEPTED RISKS OF PARTICIPATING IN THESE TYPE OF TIME TRIAL SPORTS. Jesus titty-fucking Christ. You think I want to see people die? I'm just not stupid enough to blame poor track design when I haven't the first damn clue what those pillars are supporting.
You clearly haven't a clue how leverage factors into placement of supports, so it must just be a matter of sloppy engineering leaving exposed pillars in this area for someone to hit, right? They could put plexiglass there, but there might be issues of turbulence caused by trapping air in that pocket. All I'm saying is there are a ton of factors that go into track design, and reactionary blame like this is ignoring that and the fact that this sport is inherently dangerous. Would ragdolling at a lower speed of 80mph on an access path have been better, or just allowed the camera to capture his gruesome death better? Sheesh. PEACE.
criesofthepast
Member
Just for those wondering what those steel pillars were supporting.
They support the sun roof over the track.
They support the sun roof over the track.
Cereal KiIIer
Member
criesofthepast said:
Wow... "Hey guys, let's place those pillars on the OUTSIDE of the turn" ....
gutter_trash
Banned
they should put up boards where the pillars are.
like what the hell, exposed pillars
like what the hell, exposed pillars
Wind factors into sports like this. I think everyone's wondering why there's no plexiglass or a sealed wall there, but this isn't the first bobsled course with low-walled, open straights. Why is that? I always assumed it was to let wind pass through instead of getting caught in a pocket and causing a bubble of turbulence for the sledders to pass over.
If you will, compare it to driving your car on a windy day and the wind sheer pushes the car around. Entry into a turn is important for preserving the line (this is true in all racing). It might be more dangerous to have a sledder going into a high-speed turn all cockeyed because they can't keep the sled tracking straight due to turbulence. Just a thought. But hey, let's have non-engineers design the track based on internet video. The roof won't support itself. PEACE.
If you will, compare it to driving your car on a windy day and the wind sheer pushes the car around. Entry into a turn is important for preserving the line (this is true in all racing). It might be more dangerous to have a sledder going into a high-speed turn all cockeyed because they can't keep the sled tracking straight due to turbulence. Just a thought. But hey, let's have non-engineers design the track based on internet video. The roof won't support itself. PEACE.
No it wouldn't. Going from 90-0 in a few inches or feet is stressful enough to cause severe injury. Having that force reduced by 10-30% is unlikely to do anything to save his life. That impact is being taken directly by the body.whitehawk said:
To put it in perspective, people have died bobsledding at slower tracks than this, and that's with a fuller sled than lugers ride. I'm not being mean, but the track didn't cause him to mess up his line. A difficult or fast course doesn't directly translate to a dangerous course. I'm glad I follow racing, because I feel I have a greater understanding of the risks inherent in this sport than some of you. If the lugers went slow enough to make an off-course excursion reliably safe, none of you would want the sport in the Olympics. We watch these sports because of the element of danger, yet get silly when disaster strikes. PEACE.
whitehawk said:
Do you really think that padding would have saved his life? or to the others questioning the position of the beams, do you really think he would have survived the crash had the beams not been there? hell, sooner or later he was going to hit something else, would you guys also blame the placement of such object?
He was going at 90 mph, he had already lost complete control, I really hate to say this, but I don't think his chances of surviving such crash were that high.
Noshino said:
There's a big difference between gradually slowing down from 90 and immediately stopping, padding may not have saved his life, but staying inside the track/not hitting pillars would have dramatically improved his chances..
Pimpwerx said:
The sad part about it is there is no reason plexiglass or something could not have been used in areas where it is possible for the rider to leave the track (and with the extended walls in that section it is quite clear this was taken into account, yet the support columns were not). Still it is a bit of a freak accident, but at the same time still preventable.
Haunted
Member
That's fucking terrible, what a tragedy for the sport. 
edit: he might not have survived the crash anyway, but surely one has to concede that having no fucking huge metal pillars directly next to a low part of the track would pose no detriment to the course's safety?
Exactly my thoughts.Zeliard said:
edit: he might not have survived the crash anyway, but surely one has to concede that having no fucking huge metal pillars directly next to a low part of the track would pose no detriment to the course's safety?
Mr. Dobalina
Banned
Variable said:
Sometimes things are just overlooked - like when the San Francisco Giants built their new park several years ago - they got well into construction and realized "Shit, we never put bullpens in the blueprints."
Mr. Dobalina
Banned
perfectchaos007 said:
They just showed it - Jeff Zucker probably frequents GAF, saw you post, and said "Get me Costas on the phone - we are running that shit and we're throwing some bloody photos on there as well!"
Joates said:
The thing that I was pointing out is the fact that people are complaining about the beams, which just doesn't make sense, whether the beams were there or not, the impact/landing was going to be too much for him.
Also, although I don't know much about the sport (have only been seeing it now and then for the past 3 years), I really think that even if he stayed inside the track, the landing at 90mph would have been too much. He lost control, it was a (like some of you are calling it) freak accident.
Hopefully the people in charge check the design once again, and if needed, make the necessary changes...
Firestorm said:
These are the best caliber sledsmen in the world, there has to be an amazing challenge. And yes it is sort of a freak accident. To say 12 crashes and only one results and serious injury/death is a freak accident, if more riders were being taken away on stretchers you may have more of a point. Again these people are the best in the world.
Noshino said:
If he had stayed inside the track I highly doubt the forces would have been enough to kill him, seriously injure maybe, but not kill. The cause of death was most likely something along the lines of blunt force trauma, the result of him going from 90-0 in less than a second.
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