Kevin's Watch

Mr. Broken wrote:I find the winter games more entertaining than the summer, perhaps because of the speed involved in most of the winter events.

matrixman wrote:

Mr. Broken wrote:I find the winter games more entertaining than the summer, perhaps because of the speed involved in most of the winter events.

Yes, you nailed it. I always tune into the long track speed skating events - I am just in awe of those who do it, the stamina required. Back in 2006 at the Turin Games, I was on cloud nine due to hometown girl Cindy Klassen's incredible accomplishments.

The alpine ski events are just as exciting, particularly the downhill races: nothing like the sheer speed and spectacle of men and women plunging down the side of a freaking mountain, risking life and limb.

The ski jumps are pretty good, too, though I have no specific favorite memories.

olympic.org wrote:Joint Statement from IOC, VANOC and FIL

It is with great regret that we confirm the death of the Georgian luge athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, during the final training session at the Whistler Sliding Centre, this morning.

Mr Kumaritashvili died after crashing on the last corner of the course during training. Doctors were unable to revive the athlete, who died in hospital.

“Our first thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the athlete. The whole Olympic Family is struck by this tragedy, which clearly casts a shadow over these Games”, said the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge.

“We are deeply struck by this tragedy and join the IOC in extending our condolences to the family, friends and teammates of this athlete, who came to Vancouver to follow his Olympic dream”, said John Furlong, the CEO of VANOC, the Games Organising Committee.

For the International Luge Federation, President Josef Fendt said: “This is a terrible accident. This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the ‘luge family’, are naturally with those touched by this event.”

An investigation is underway into the circumstances of the accident. Training was suspended and technical officials are now trying to establish the causes.

"I think they are pushing it a little too much," Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night 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."

American slider Bengt Walden also crashed in training.

"You're trying to let the sled run more and that's when mistakes happen," said Walden.. "Once you think you've got it figured out and you're being calm, that's when things like this happen."

Added Walden: "I don't think they're going to build more faster tracks than this. I think the (governing body) FIL was almost unhappy with how fast the track turned out to be."

matrixman wrote:A colleague told me the news as I was leaving work today.

Having read further on this, it seems quite a few lugers crashed on this course on their training runs.
Even defending Olympic champ Armin Zoeggeler crashed.

Other athletes had these comments about the track:

"I think they are pushing it a little too much," Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night 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."

American slider Bengt Walden also crashed in training.

"You're trying to let the sled run more and that's when mistakes happen," said Walden.. "Once you think you've got it figured out and you're being calm, that's when things like this happen."

Added Walden: "I don't think they're going to build more faster tracks than this. I think the (governing body) FIL was almost unhappy with how fast the track turned out to be."