Winter Olympics 2010 Vancouver

[RonaldoVII]

One of my mates from high school is in the GB team, it's so strange seeing him on tv.

 

[F-Red]

It's apparently upon video review more driver error than course design, but from the gobs of the athletes it's a little more touchy than that...

Exactly, driver error is playing a major role apparently in the investigation

The course should be protected enough in those areas though. Coming off that fast huge turn, the wall on both sides of that straight should be high. The beams should have been covered/protected.

Vancouver piled on the PR shit that this was the fastest course on the world, but yet are struggling to lay blame on the fact that the course was poorly designed. I hope they address the issue and make changes to that turn before any of the luge/skeleton events start otherwise they'll have another injury at that area.

 

[Anderson Searl]

Well, the cause is obviously a combination. But in a sport as fast and marginal as lugeing mistakes will be made and it's something the arranging committee, who are ultimately responsible for the safety of the athletes, must factor in. So why on earth were those nazi beams left exposed in the extension of one of the trickiest curves the sport has to offer? As others have pointed out, it would have been so simple to save random lugeguy's life with a bit of plexi or something. IMO this tragedy could turn into a scandal.

The course should be protected enough in those areas though. Coming off that fast huge turn, the wall on both sides of that straight should be high. The beams should have been covered/protected.

Vancouver piled on the Page Ranking shit that this was the fastest course on the world, but yet are struggling to lay blame on the fact that the course was poorly designed. I hope they address the issue and make changes to that turn before any of the luge/skeleton events start otherwise they'll have another injury at that area.

I agree lads, which is why this is so baffling that after the American guy called it "50-50 Corner" nothing was done.

It's a shame a life was lost

 

[Sir Matt]

From the Times:

The Canadians have tried to make the most of the home advantage by limiting access to their venues to foreign competitors and maximising access to their own competitors.

While this clearly helps Canadian chances of winning medals, many international athletes have complained that in sports such as luge, they have cranked up the danger.

The British Olympic Association has complained that British athletes have had 10 per cent of the training time of their Canadian rivals. Ron Rossi, the executive director of USA Luge, said this week: “I think it shows a lack of sportsmanship.”

I wouldn't be surprised if a lack of track time is a major factor in the danger of the course. Canadians haven't complained about it(as far as I've read) but they've also had a ton of time to go down it.

 

[zain]

Padding, or cushioning on a metal pole..

That's all that could have been the difference between life and death.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

I wouldn't be surprised if a lack of track time is a major factor in the danger of the course. Canadians haven't complained about it(as far as I've read) but they've also had a ton of time to go down it.

Same with the downhill track.

Downhill which by the way is postponed.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Padding, or cushioning on a metal pole..

That's all that could have been the difference between life and death.

To be fair, at that speed he might still have passed away. I remember a snowboarder (I think it was boardercross) who hit a padded pole some years ago with high velocity and she died.

You see in the video how extremely quick his body comes to a stop. Not sure the body can cope with that.

But padding should have been a given anyway, totally agree with that.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Padding would not have helped if he came to a complete stop traveling at 140km/h, he would have died anyway. If it was a smooth wall, however he probably just would have bounced off it and continued down the track.

 

[Sir Matt]

Padding would not have helped if he came to a complete stop traveling at 140km/h, he would have died anyway. If it was a smooth wall, however he probably just would have bounced off it and continued down the track.

This would be the best thing to do. It'd be like a guard rail on roads. There's no way a luger is going to hit the wall at a 90º angle so it'd just reduce his momentum. A padded wall would be best since it'd absorb some of the energy too.

 

[Werewolf]

Ski Jumping on. Come on Ahonen !

 

[Elliott]

Jacobsen fecks up. Who'd'a thunk it?

 

[Werewolf]

Only 6 points between 5th Janne Ahonen and 1st Ammann after the first round. The second round should be cracking.

 

[Rooney24]

Anyone got the highlights video of the opening ceremony?

 

[Lester Freamon]

Amman won. 3rd Olympic gold medal for Amman. A fantastic achievement.

 

[Werewolf]

Simon Ammann wins it, Adam second.

Ahonen finishes 4th, again...

 

[Elliott]

They've raised the wall after the death curve

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Congrats to Amman.

The Norwegian jumpers need to get some tips from Northug in how to deal with pressure and nervousness. They are as fickle as paper.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Fingers crossed for a Bøkko silver medal now.

 

[Barbara Charles]

What a beautiful flyer Amman is. thrilling to watch. Hell, they were all thrilling.

 

[Elliott]

Fingers crossed for a Bøkko silver medal now.

What a load of excrement. I seriously thought we'd get 2 medals today. Oh well. Here's to Ole, Emil and Lars painting the podium red, white and blue tomorrow. Got a good feeling about Moan too.

 

[RedMist99]

Pretty drunk...

UK viewers; is Hazel Irvine looking particularly sexy tonight?*

*I know that sounds wrong

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

What a load of excrement. I seriously thought we'd get 2 medals today. Oh well. Here's to Ole, Emil and Lars painting the podium red, white and blue tomorrow. Got a good feeling about Moan too.

The biathlon should be a harvest, it really should.

Bøkko was beyond disappointing. I'm blaming all the Muller hassle pre Olympics.

 

[Tribec]

I wouldn't be surprised if a lack of track time is a major factor in the danger of the course. Canadians haven't complained about it(as far as I've read) but they've also had a ton of time to go down it.

I think it's a lot of factors that led to the tragic accident and not one sole issue. That was his 26th run down that track, so you'd have thought he'd have been aware of what it was like. Of course one error is all it takes, and he looked rather nervous about something or so I'm hearing from the experts.

Yes, the track could have had padding and higher banking (which has now been put in place). One of the BBC guys discussed that the Olympic courses seem always to be the quickest and most dangerous courses built, and yet anyone and everyone can take part in these events, unlike the World championships/World cup events. Should the Olympic tracks be easier to ride?

If anything I hope this becomes a moment in sliding events where everything is looked at, in a similar way the death of Ayrton Senna became with F1. I wouldn't want the speed and skill taken away, but safety has to become a huge factor in any new track build.

 

[Desert Eagle]

Ok so what events are the main highlights? Apart from ice hockey none of it really interests me tbh.

 

[Tribec]

Ok so what events are the main highlights? Apart from ice hockey none of it really interests me tbh.

It does depend, the short track speed skating is always fun to watch, lots of potential crashes and unexpected winners. Ski and board cross seem to be good events to watch as it's direct racing of which we see not a lot of in the traditional winter sports.

It really does depend on what you want to to watch though, or what you are looking for.

 

[Desert Eagle]

It does depend, the short track speed skating is always fun to watch, lots of potential crashes and unexpected winners. Ski and board cross seem to be good events to watch as it's direct racing of which we see not a lot of in the traditional winter sports.

It really does depend on what you want to to watch though, or what you are looking for.

Short track speed skating, ski and board cross. I will try to catch a bit of each and hopefully it will be as exciting as the winter X games which is my only reference for winter sports, well that and once I had sex with a girl from Iceland but I guess that doesn't count.

 

[zing]

Just saw ski jumping on TV awhile back. That looked cool.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Nordic Combined now. Norwegians so far have disappointed but our biggest hope Moan is still to come. It may interest the caf that Bill Demong just jumped.

 

[nimic]

I have a feeling we're going to be disappointed for this entire thing.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Not another Torino. I'd go fecking mental.

 

[nimic]

Looks like it's going to be another one already.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Bollocks!! God damn it! Jesus fecking christ!

 

[Lester Freamon]

Biathlon is on now. Massive chances for a Norwegian victory here.

 

[nimic]

I have a bad feeling about this.

 

[nimic]

I have a bad feeling about this.

!!

Edit: I predict 3 gold medals for Norway this time. 5 silver, 3 bronze.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Oh. My. God.

THREE misses by Bjørndalen. I'm lost for words. Gutted.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Horrible start to these Olympics.

Torino all over. Worst thing is that Bauer is in such good form these days so he's probably just as big a favourite as Northug. If we lose out on the gold tomorrow as well I'll be disappointed.

 

[Lester Freamon]

Horrible, horrible, horrible. And what's wrong with the fecking weather? God damn. We could at least hope for fair conditions..

 

[Werewolf]

That was fecked up...

 

[Lester Freamon]

Well, we got our first medal at least, I just can't get over the disappointment with Ole Einar Bjørndalen. Only a minor miracle can get him near the gold on the pursuit. Of course, miracles is his business but...