Expert addresses yesterday's luge death and safety questions raised
By Gregory Fox, ACSM-certified professional and former bobsled/skeleton competitor
Yesterday's tragic death of an Olympic luger is a reminder to all how dangerous the sliding sports can be. In Bobsled, Skeleton and Luge, safety seems minimal when athletes wear nothing more than a helmet and a spandex-like suit. Nothing could be further from the truth; even at 90 mph, this is enough protection for most incidences. The greater safety precautions come from the years of training these athletes go through. In the USA, Luge athletes are recruited between the ages of 11-14. Starting off athletes while they are young, will help them gain the years of experience and confidence that’s needed to succeed at these sports.
The run in Whistler is the newest in the world. As required for the homologation (certification) of the track, many test runs have been made prior to these Olympic Games. In 2008, both the FIBT and the FIL (the governing bodies for the sliding sports), approved the track for international competition. One year ago, all three sports held World Cup events at the Whistler Sliding Centre. In any sport injury can be inevitable. Today’s unfortunate event was a rare occurrence that illustrates the unpredictability of sport.
As speeds increase in the luge event, will there ever be a consideration to redesign the tracks with higher (semi-covered) banks so athletes don't fly off the track? Cameras could still be built into the walls to get great footage.
Posted by: Eric | 02/16/2010 at 02:20 PM