favorite event ?

Thats the way it looked to me when I seen it on the news. If they had even plywood along them he might of had a chance but the way its set up now anyone that loose it on that turn is going to die. Its real sad and VERY poor design on someones part.
 
Actually, the "official" report said it wasn't a design flaw, but a human error.. he supposedly went into the previous turn late and that caused him to hit turn 16 high and he didn't or couldn't compensate.... but I would think that if there was a possibility that a sledder could come out of a turn and go over a wall straight into a steel post, I'm pretty sure that would be a design flaw.... at the very lease there should be some sort of nets or restrainers on the more dangerous turns.

BTW, I think it was extremely poor taste on the part of the Olympic committee and the network to show the accident on national TV... not once, but repeatedly.... fortunately, I think the father hasn't seen the broadcast.. he has said he doesn't want to see it... the tape of the accident should have been reviewed by the committee for safety reasons, but it should not have been shown on live TV....
 
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I agree with you Chuck I was real surprised when they showed it and not just once but they ran it about 4 or 5 times in a row and from what I could see if they had something as simple as plywood across the support beam he would maybe still be alive. He might have had several broken bones but could have had a chance. But the way it was set up there is no way anyone that would miss that turn would live through it or at the lest would loose an arm or leg. It it just a very poor design plain and simple. :(
 
With the wide availability of the internet, they didn't have to broadcast it at all. They could have simply made mention that it's available on the website. While the outcomes are obviously different, it very much reminded me of the constant replay of Joe Theisman's leg breaking.

But, there is no one cause for why it happened. It was the result of several things. Remove any one of them and it most likely doesn't happen. Removing any of the causes in the change of events in simply managing risk. Since they don't have the option of restricting the athletes from participating, they could reduce future risk in that means. However, they could shorten the run resulting in lower speeds. And, they extended the wall to help corral any wayward sledders. Could it happen again? You bet. Anytime you have a person hurtling along at 90mph, something bad can happen.

Sorry to continue with the thread hijacking.

Favorite event? Any of them which are closely competed. :D
 
no one has ever said that bobsled, luge, and downhill were ever safe, or accident free. remember the wide world of sports opener, the agony of defeat, when the ski jumper hit the corner? think of it, with downhill, they're moving upwards of 70+ mph, with nothing between the hardpack and their butts but a thin layer of whatever it is that they're wearing. think of the friction when they set down. there have been cases where the suit was melted into the skin. think of the 2 guys in the middle of a 4 man bobsled, hoping they guy steering, and the one on the brakes know what they're doing. the ones who set up the runs have to walk the fine line between speed and safety. since everyone is trying to beat record times. then there is the human element, a split second error could send one to the hospital or worse. if i ran a car into a telephone pole, we cannot entirely blame the street, the car, and the telephone pole, i'm sure i would have had a hand in it too. they know the run is fast and dangerous in spots, yet they do it voluntarily, knowing the risks. the forces of nature can be very unforgiving at times.
 
My favorite event is the synchronized under the ice skate dancing...

many years ago I liked the speed events (the ones where style and form was not judged....)!

Today I wish it would just be local events and not the high $$$$ production it has turned into....
 
Everyone knows that such sports are inherently dangerous. No argument there. But the point is that, did they make the course as safe as possible for the lugers. During the trial runs the extra ordinary risk was pointed out to the officials but they did nothing to address the issue. They did address it after the accident though by raising the safety walls and padding the beams. I think the olympic officials should carry the burden of blame.
 
I like the speed events like downhill skiing and the luge. I also like some of the newer snowboard events like the half pipe and snowboard cross.

I also really like the lesser-known events...like downhill speed skating:

DownhillSpeedSkating.jpg


Synchronized ice diving:

icebergdiving%20800.jpg


Skaterball:

rollerballonice.jpg


Orca-busting:

orca_rider.jpg


Bomb curling:

ExplosiveCurling.jpg


And the skeejump:

skijumpskee.jpg
 
Great post Vaughn!

As a young kid in the '50s living in Craig, CO.....nearby Steamboat Springs hadn't been "discovered" yet and was a small cattle town with a ski mountain nearby.

A friend and I developed a new winter sport....tobogan jumping.....we took a tobogan off several ski jumps there. After a couple of unsuccessful failures....we learned a lesson in physics....evenly distributed our weight to the front and the rear and it was quite successful.
 
I agree with you Chuck. If they are saying that it was Luger's fault then why did they raise the safety wall and padded the beams afterwards.

Not only that but the top official for sliding had, much earlier, said that was a dangerous spot and the wall should be raised.
Poor taste to blame the luger. After all, it is a high speed and very tricky sport.
I have to disagree with those who believe the video should not have been shown. Showing it allows us to form our opinions, not second guess what others tell us. It also shows the reality of the event. Without visual input, the human mind will deny reality. I have photographed many tragedies and I support the editors who choose to publish them. It is only a statistic to say "three children died in a house fire at....". But to publish a picture of three dead children makes it real.
I could go on but, in short, I favor openness.
 
To answer the original question.
My favorite is biathlon. I'm a shooting enthusiast and have long been upset that the media usually denied the sport even existed. Combine the shooting skills required with the very exhausting effort involved with ski racing and you have, I believe, the most challenging of all the winter sports.
 
To answer the original question.
My favorite is biathlon. I'm a shooting enthusiast and have long been upset that the media usually denied the sport even existed. Combine the shooting skills required with the very exhausting effort involved with ski racing and you have, I believe, the most challenging of all the winter sports.

I was watching some of the shooting last night... very interesting guns they were using... and they were some marksmen as well... I think I heard on of the announcers say the target was about the size of a silver dollar...

As a teen my buddies and I used to shoot at their house in the country... we would put a 22 brass on top of a fence post and try to knock it off without hitting the post... not easy... I wouldn't even be able to see the target now.
 
I was watching some of the shooting last night... very interesting guns they were using... and they were some marksmen as well... I think I heard on of the announcers say the target was about the size of a silver dollar...

As a teen my buddies and I used to shoot at their house in the country... we would put a 22 brass on top of a fence post and try to knock it off without hitting the post... not easy... I wouldn't even be able to see the target now.

I would love to see one of those rifles in person. The action is fascinating.
Also the sights must be sumptin' else. I know they cost a bundle, probably near $500.00 just for the sights. The target is a black circle inside a black circle. I'm guessing they use a front peep and put a circle around the black circle. When just a fine white line is all around the big black, they are centered. Oh, yea. Outta breath, heart going like ninety, muscles a quivering, go hold the rifle steady. :eek:
 
Fortner action

I decided to Google the biathlon rifle and learned the straight pull action is a patent action called Fortner.
I sure would like to see something like this on sporting rifles. OK, OK, I know biathlon is a sport. Gimmee a break. ;)
Really, on hunting rifles it would be fast and tons safer than a semi-auto.
 
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