# Olympic luger killed in training run **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780 "2010-02-12T21:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/1 "2010-02-12T21:08:55Z")
[CBC Link](http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/luge/story/2010/02/12/spo-luge-georgian-alert.html) Sounds like it was a terrible crash. There have been comments that the track is dangerous, but I don’t think anyone expected anything like this. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/2 "2010-02-12T21:11:17Z")
That’s harsh. I’m sorry it happened. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/3 "2010-02-12T21:11:46Z")
Shit man. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/4 "2010-02-12T21:40:49Z")
I caught some video of this, and it happened so quickly and with such force that the poor lad would surely have known nothing about it. That bit of the track looks a bit dangerous - anyone losing control on the high side of the banking looks like they are going to be in a world of hurt coming out of it. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/5 "2010-02-12T21:43:24Z")
Looking at some of the pictures, I’m sure that there are a swarm of workers putting in some serious padding and guard walls as we speak. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/6 "2010-02-12T21:55:39Z")
That was a nasty spill, he didn’t have a chance. You have to wonder why the supports were exposed like that. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/7 "2010-02-12T22:02:57Z")
The article mentions other injuries and crashes have happened there during training. At what point do they consider canceling the event for safety reasons? ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/8 "2010-02-12T22:04:32Z")
[This](http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centre/newsid=39462.html#why+this+track+means+fear) story about the track was from last week. There has been some concern that this track is too fast. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/9 "2010-02-12T22:14:17Z")
This video I saw looked like there was almost criminal neglect in the design. Large concrete supports unpadded and right off the track? Not a good feature I would think. Maybe it’s atypical for a luger to actually leave the track, which is what happened, but I would think it has to be considered. And, yeah, the poor guy likely never knew what happened. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/10 "2010-02-12T22:25:08Z")
I agree the design looks dangerous. They’ve got to put some plywood in front of those columns and then pad the plywood. He didn’t have to die any more than Diana did with those exposed columns in the tunnel in Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/11 "2010-02-12T22:27:09Z")
How common are luge deaths among professionals(so to speak)? ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/12 "2010-02-12T22:30:43Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I agree the design looks dangerous. They’ve got to put some plywood in front of those columns and then pad the plywood. He didn’t have to die any more than Diana did with those exposed columns in the tunnel in Paris. Is there any reason why they don’t just wall off those parts of the track (or at least put plexiglass barriers between the track and the columns)? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/13 "2010-02-12T22:32:38Z")
Wow. Saw the crash run and he did, indeed, look dead instantly. Not sure if that is the case, but I don’t think he suffered. Sad, though. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/14 "2010-02-12T22:43:36Z")
I’m not an engineer nor a luge slider but after viewing the video I fail to understand why this accident ever occurred at all. It’s obvious that the unpadded steel supports that close to the track were going to injure/kill someone sooner rather than later. Reading the various comments on news web sites, especially Canadien news sites, and it appears quite a few people raised this very point during construction and initial testing of the track. Yet, no one was listening. Perhaps the egos of Olympic officials and/or engineers got in the way of safety. I think all countries with events on this track should boycott the events until the track is made safe. ---
**Author:** ![Rain\_Soaked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19adc/32.png) [@Rain\_Soaked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rain_Soaked)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/15 "2010-02-12T22:44:55Z")
This was the first death for the winter olympics. There have been [two](http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/2010wintergames/Olympic+tragedies/2557178/story.html) deaths in the summer olympics before. ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/16 "2010-02-12T22:53:36Z")
I have to echo previous comments. After watching the video I’m disgusted that this was allowed to happen. That part of the track just looks like a death trap. Such a pointless death. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/17 "2010-02-12T22:57:06Z")
> [@Rain\_Soaked](#): > > This was the first death for the winter olympics. There have been [two](http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/2010wintergames/Olympic+tragedies/2557178/story.html) deaths in the summer olympics before. Actually, that link says there were two deaths in the Winter Games before as well. As with this one, they occurred during practice runs. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/18 "2010-02-12T23:10:48Z")
I went looking for a video online. Couldn’t find one. Sounds like the IOC is clamping down tight. ---
**Author:** ![MJinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@MJinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MJinks)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/19 "2010-02-12T23:14:40Z")
The video wasn’t that bad, it all happens so quickly, at least in the one I watched. The pictures on the Huffington Post website however were completely unnecessary. If you really want to watch the video it’s up at [http://vimeo](http://vimeo). com/9410364 (remove space). ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2010, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780/20 "2010-02-12T23:54:45Z")
from what i heard on the news, there was a great deal of concern over that curve and higher walls were asked for. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/olympic-luger-killed-in-training-run/528780.md?page=2)