This is the thread to discuss all the news and happenings of the 2010 winter olympics.
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This is the thread to discuss all the news and happenings of the 2010 winter olympics.
--Luge participant dies during training session
VANCOUVER – With the crash that killed Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a Friday morning training run, just hours before the Olympic torch was to be lit here, the Vancouver Games need to take immediate steps to assure the safety of its athletes.
It can start by canceling the luge competition altogether unless the track can be reconstructed to prevent wicked speeds from putting athletes at risk.
Kumaritashvili, 21, lost control of his sled during a practice session at the Whistler Sliding Centre. He violently caromed off of two of the track’s walls before being tossed in the air, where he spun until hitting a metal support pole. He was rushed to a local hospital, but it was too late.
This was no isolated incident, not just a bit of human error in an inherently dangerous sport.
It was a tragedy some saw coming on the super-fast track that had produced a dozen training wrecks already and had athletes wondering whether they were being put into harm’s way in a sport already built on attaining near impossible speeds.
“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg told the Associated Press on Thursday after she nearly lost control in training. “To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”
Campbell-Pegg’s words should haunt these Games.
News of the death Friday reached the downtown torch relay and cast a pall on the run-up to the Opening Ceremony. It needs to force the International Olympic Committee and the local organizing committee to immediately rededicate these Games to safety.
IOC president Jacques Rogge was non-committal on what would happen next with the luge, although the IOC promised a later press conference. “It’s a time of sorrow,” Rogge said. “It’s not a time to look for reasons.”
Kumaritashvili was clocked at 89.44 mph just before losing control as he exited what is called the Thunderbird turn. Some lugers have said speeds near 90 mph make maintaining control of the sled almost impossible.
The track at Whistler is arguably the world’s fastest, and the danger is everywhere. The week already had seen one incident where Italian gold medalist Armin Zoggeler lost control and had to be taken off the track with medical attention (he returned) and another that left a Romanian woman unconscious.
The track has been closed since Kumaritashvili’s death and shouldn’t be opened unless it can be redesigned to slow the athletes.
The luge is always a dangerous event, what with one or two people lying on a small, slick sled that whips through an icy, curvy course. There is no reason to set up a track that produces speeds that challenge an athlete just to maintain grip on the sled.
A slower track does not weaken the competition. Competitors still would have to maximize the course as best they could. It would be a safer yet still level playing field, minus the eye-popping speeds reached only for the excitement of fans or for false standards such as clocks and “world records.”
At some point with these sports, enough has to be enough. No one set out to create a track that would cause athletes to die, but it is clear through training that this course has pushed the competitors to the brink – or, in this case, beyond.
Now the organizers need to protect the competitors from themselves. The luge is not for the faint of heart, and the athletes who thrive in it naturally push themselves to faster and faster times. But these are just games, nothing worth dying for.
The luge competition, set to begin Saturday, should be postponed for the time being and canceled if the track can’t be fixed. A team of experts – officials, coaches and athletes – must determine whether the course is safe or can be adjusted to become safe.
If this many crashes and this much fear was being generated during training sessions, it will only get worse when the athletes go all-out in pursuit of the gold.
One ugly, horrific tragedy on the luge course is one too many. This track, this sport, needs to be shut down until sanity reigns.
-sports.yahoo.com
Opening Ceremonys Tonight And Some Ski Jumping Probably Wont Catch Anything Tonight But We'll Def Catch Tomm Afternoon Speed Skating And More Ski Jumping. The Luge And Skeleton And What Not Always Looked Hairy To Me. I'm Suprised Theres Not More Serious Injuries Maybe There Is A Lot But I Just Dont Follow It When It's Not The Olympics So I Dont Hear About It I Dont Know.
WHISTLER — Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili from Georgia was killed when he crashed and flew off the track during the final day of men's Olympic luge training Friday.
The IOC confirmed that Kumaritashvili has died.
http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos...per-medium.jpg
TV replays show that Kumaritashvili, 22, hit a steel beam after exiting curve 16, the final curve before crossing the finish line at the Whistler Sliding Center, which is considered the fastest track in the world with speeds reaching 95 mph in training this week.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olymp...ge-crash_N.htm
Doesn't Seem Very Smart To Have Steel Beams Right Next To The Turns On A Track. No One Looked At That As A Potential Problem.
Men's olympic hockey schedule
All times are listed as Pacific Time. Add three hours for Eastern Standard Time
PRELIMINARY ROUND:
Tuesday, February 16
- 12:00 pm USA vs. SWITZERLAND
- 4:30 pm CANADA vs. NORWAY
- 9:00 pm RUSSIA vs. LATVIA
Wednesday, February 17
- 12:00 pm FINLAND vs. BELARUS
- 4:30 pm SWEDEN vs. GERMANY
- 9:00 pm CZECH REPUBLIC vs. SLOVAKIA
Thursday, February 18
- 12:00 pm USA vs. NORWAY
- 4:30 pm SWITZERLAND vs. CANADA
- 9:00 pm SLOVAKIA vs. RUSSIA
Friday, February 19
12:00 pm BELARUS vs. SWEDEN
4:30 pm CZECH REPUBLIC vs. LATVIA
9:00 pm FINLAND vs. GERMANY
Saturday, February 20
12:00 pm NORWAY vs. SWITZERLAND
4:30 pm LATVIA vs. SLOVAKIA
9:00 pm GERMANY vs. BELARUS
Sunday, February 21
12:00 pm RUSSIA vs. CZECH REPUBLIC
4:45 pm CANADA vs. USA
9:00 pm SWEDEN vs. FINLAND
im sure he was dead instantly hitting that beam going that fast, luge athletes are insane to be going that fast on a sled
http://spaceghetto.org/images/12cndluge1.jpghttp://spaceghetto.org/images/luger540x3.jpghttp://spaceghetto.org/images/nodarkumar.jpghttp://spaceghetto.org/images/nodarkhph.jpghttp://spaceghetto.org/images/nodarkifi.jpghttp://spaceghetto.org/images/nodarktut.jpg
n e one has the video, rly wanna see it..
its been removed hahaha damn
I feel sorry for the poor man.
At least his death was fast and painless, have you seen the speed that thing is going?
I always found this to be an incredibly stupid sport. It literally is for dummies that like to watch things go fast. Like Nascar fans, but from Europe.
It just dawned on me that hockey is the religion of Canada and Wayne Gretzky is the messiah...
:clap: Thanks for this.. looks like ill be watching some hockey.Quote:
Originally Posted by battle?
waiting for final Russia - Canada ...
and of course Russian win !!!!!!
http://www.gifs.net/Animation11/Spor...ice_hockey.gif
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very sad for the Georgian athlete (((
^^Canada has a very young team this year. No old sluggish vets. Fast hard hitters...and scorers.
wtf is wrong with this dog?
http://i38.tinypic.com/2nauteg.gif
Which motherfucker put giant steel beams next to the Luge track? Whos bright idea was that.
The rest of them Lugers gota be scared as fuck doing that course now. Its gonna be weird as hell going round that corner knowing he died there jsut the other died.
War is hell.//.Quote:
Originally Posted by V4D3R
I prefer the Summer games myself
http://www.manofest.com/content/imag...1110166244.gif
Thanks for starting the thread, Check.
Personally, I love the Winter Olympic Games. My favorite events are speed skating, short track speed skating, bobsledding, alpine skiing, ski jumping, hockey, curling (I know it's weird but I'm still trying to learn how the game is played), and snowboarding.
ha ha @ this drama queen.
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American figure skater Johnny Weir will stay in the Olympic Village because he's concerned about "very serious threats" from anti-fur activists.
The medal hopeful had planned to stay in a hotel during the Games, but it would have been too difficult to arrange adequate security. Though there are no indications that any of the verbal and written threats from extremists were credible, Weir's decision to stay in the more secure village was an obvious choice.
He's right to take extra precautions during his time in Vancouver. Though the odds of one of these threats actually coming to pass are low, there's no reason for Weir to open himself up to the possibility. For peace of mind alone, staying in a secured Olympic Village is worth it.
At last month's U.S. Nationals, Weir earned the scorn of anti-fur protesters when he wore a white tuft of fox fur on his shoulder. He was defiant in the face of the criticism at first but later relented.
-sports.yahoo.com
Biloudeau! Canadas first Gold!
Hahaha I Seen That The Womens And Mens Moguls Were Entertaining. But Canada Finally Wins A Gold On There Soil And It's Such A Relief, Shits Pathetic. Of Course Usa Keeps Racking Up Medals Had Two More Today.
Apollo got the sliver medal by LUCK! Good for him, though.
I dont know why NBC made it such a story about the Gold on our own soil, it was all a question of when. Although seems most Americans are disappointed with the NBC coverage. Ever since 1998 when it was held in Calgary, Canada has been doing a lot better in the Winter Olympics on the podium. USA also improved in the ranks too...we are always around the same totals +/- a few medals. Following trends since we're the host were expected to do even better.Quote:
Originally Posted by baby jesus
steel beams or not, homie was dead either way!!!!!!
he could of hit a wall of marshmellows, when youre goin that fast your brains getting power slammed against your skull!!!!!!!!
they replayed that shit like 15 times in slow motion on the news, feel for homies fam!!!!!!!!
NBC splooged when the kid crashed, ratings spike!!!!!!!!!!
Snowboarding Cross Was Yesterday One Of The Most Entertaining Sports In The Winter Olympics. Usa Vs. Switzerland In Hockey Today At Noon. Switzerland Is No Cake Walk They Got Hiller From The Ducks In Net. Medal Count For Now Has Usa In The Lead With 8. Switzerland Has Most Golds With 3 The Only 3 Medals They Have.
check two, youre a fuckin pussy... go ahead and edit this post too you power hungry shut in!!!!!
All I did was edit the picture out. It wasn't needed, freak of nature.
Usa Is Def The Underdogs In Hockey Without Any Real Star Power Maybe Kane And The Goalie Miller. They Beat The Swiss 3-1 They Looked Ok But Need To Get Better. Canada Rolled Through Norway And Russia Looks Like No Joke Smashing Lativa. Germany Now Leads In Medals With 9. Tonight We Finally Get To See Shawn White Snowboarding He's Supposed To Have A Few New Tricks Up His Sleeves.
yeah so ive been watchin alot of the olympics man its pretty damn good!!! itd say it might even be better than the summer olympics (apart from the track events which are >>>)
i loved that snowboard cross shit, fuckin raw, one of the best sports in olympics BAR NON. 4 dudes just beasting down the mountain, wiping each other out, just flat out going off.
overall theres some crazy ass sports going on. its dope. even that mens ice skating comp had it poppin I was laughin my ass off the whole time if youve ever seen Blades Of Glory u know what I mean...cant deny the entertainmen of those camp motherfuckers though, that swiss dude was spinnin at the speed of sound at the end of his run!!
i havent caught much of the hockey but I saw one CRAZY ass goal earlier on from the USA womans team versus China where she came up and put it through the back of her legs and shit - ill
Yeah that snowboard cross is fun to watch...congrats on Ricker for getting Canada gold after Robertson missed that one jump so settled for silver when Wescott overcame.
u were lucky though that Jacobellis fucked up YET AGAIN her big day, when she hit that flag.
I feel bad for her ( if you remember last olympics she was miles ahead in the final and crashed on the last jump right before the line because she got cocky) only because shes clearly the fastest rider but keeps fucking up on the day.
maybe Ricker wouldve won anyway idk, she did get a better start. either way she deserved it i just wouldlve like to watch her and jacobellis battle it out to the finishe line!
That Was One Of The Biggest Storys Coming Into The Olympics They Tried To Run With Even Though It Was Her Own Fault I Felt Bad For Her And Was Hoping She Would Get Redemption. They Ran A Story On The Canadian Moguls Guy He Has A Disabled Brother That Inspires Him And That He Help Takes Care Of I'm Happy He Won Gold. I Also Caught A Little Of The Figure Skating They Are Flames But When That Guy Was Spinning I Was Like What The Fuck Shit Was Wild. How Does He Not Get Dizzy Dude Was Fuckin Spinnin Fast As Fuck Film Couldnt Even Capture that Shit.
yeah i remember that.Quote:
Originally Posted by THE FRANCHISE™
yes, better than that emotionless begg-smith canadian representing australia winning...that guy seems like a douche but apparently he had a very successful business in the spyware/malware industry so I can respect him for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by baby jesus
Yeah the Swiss guy with the fur shoulders whos in like 4th right now at the end of his run ive never seen anythin spin so fast the crazy shit was he was in a slow spin then he just somehow turned that shit up 10x i thought the fool was about to evaporate and shit!! I thought the Japanese dude who I think is in 3rd right now had the best routine though
As for the border cross I mean even though it was her own fault last time im with you i still wanted to seee her get redemption simply for the fact that it pretty obvious shes the fast rider out there.....idk though man you gotta come through with it at the end of the day if she cant stay on the course you cant say shes the best rider, even though shes the fastest
the mens final though was a CLASSIC race all round
I've been watching a little bit of everything.
The sports I like the most are speed skating, short track & ice hockey.
About Lindsay Vonn on Yahoo...
Alex V 21 minutes ago Report Abuse
now that she got the win out of the way, she has time to take a few fingers of mine deep up in her. come on, you know you want to do that to her
haahahahahahahahahahah YES
Usa Had A Monster Day Yesterday Taking Back The Medals Lead And Golds Lead Most Medals In One Day And Tied For Most Golds In One Day. Vonn Won The Downhill And If She Didn't After All The Time Spent On Her Shin I Would Have Been Annoyed. Even After She Won All The Interview Was About Was How She Had To Overcome Her Shin Annoying Shit. Shani Davis Won Gold In The 1000 Speed Skating For The Second Time And Shawn White Also Repeated In The Halfpipe Dude Is Just So Much Better Then Anyone Else He Might Get An Extra Ten Feet On His Airs Then Anyone His Victory Run Scored Higher Then His 1st Run That Clinched It.