Category: The Olympics (Page 9 of 26)

      Olympic luger was frightened of track before death

      February 15, 2010 /

      The day before his death, Nodar Kumaritashvili called his father to express concern over one of the Whistler track’s turns.

      From ESPN.com:

      The athlete killed on the luge track Friday told his father a day before he died in a training run that he was “scared of one of the turns,” David Kumaritashvili told The Wall Street Journal.

      “I said, ‘Put your legs down on the ice to slow down,’ but he said if he started the course he would finish it,” Kumaritashvili said, according to The Journal.

      Kumaritashvili, a Soviet-era luger himself, told the newspaper his son would have been able to compete in two more Winter Games and that Nodar’s Olympic dreams stemmed from childhood.

      “He was brave,” Kumaritashvili said.

      I can just see Kumaritashvili tensing up before hitting the fateful turn. The Olympics only happen once every four years and are perhaps the largest opportunity to represent one’s country on the international level. I’m sure Kumaritashvili felt it was his duty to compete. Sadly, while undoubtedly riddled with fear, he died.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      News, The Olympics

      Georgia’s president understandably frustrated with Olympic officials

      February 13, 2010 /

      Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, like any sensible human, doesn’t agree with Olympic officials that one of his nation’s athletes, luger Nodar Kumartshvili, is responsible for his own death.

      From the Los Angeles Times:

      “There were questions being asked about this place,” President Mikheil Saakashvili said. “There were suggestions that the wall should have been higher there.”

      Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed when he lost control of his sled at about 80 mph, flipped over the lip of the track and slammed into an unpadded roof support post. Saakashvili reacted to suggestions that the 21-year-old athlete lacked the necessary experience to handle the course.

      “They said that what happened yesterday was because of human error,” the president said. “Well, with all due respect … one thing I know for sure, that no sports mistake is supposed to lead to a death.”

      Even some veteran lugers had previously commented on the difficulty of the Whistler track. Officials are now extending the wall along the lip, Saakashvili said.

      “But I think the best news would be if, in the future, they listen more to the grievances of sportsmen,” he said. “And we don’t have to do things in the aftermath.”

      The International Luge Federation and the Vancouver Olympic Committe are the ones who refuse to take responsibility for the tragic accident. They are morons. You see all the crying and the mourning from these guys in their suits, but their deep-seeded insensitivity is just disappointing. All they had to do was express regret for not taking the proper precautions. That’s it.

      Fools.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      The Olympics

      Japanese snowboarder banned from opening ceremonies because of clothes

      February 13, 2010 /

      Japanese snowboarder Kazuhiro Kokubo, who is expected to contend for a medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics, was banned from the welcoming ceremony in Vancouver after Japanese Olympic Committee officials weren’t pleased with his dress attire.

      From Yahoo! Sports:

      With his sagging pants, untucked shirt, and loosened tie, Kokubo looked like any sloppily dressed 21-year-old. But that’s not going to fly. According to one Japanese Olympic Committee official, “It is not the way the Japanese delegation should dress themselves while taxpayers’ money is spent on them.” Uh-oh.

      Kokubo, who is expected to contend for a medal, was banned from a welcoming ceremony in Vancouver after there were complaints about his clothes. The snowboarder followed that up by saying the Olympics are “just another snowboarding event,” and that they are “nothing special.” Uh-oh again.

      When I first read this, my thought was who cares? He’s a 21-year-old snowboard – how else do you expect him to dress?

      But after giving it more thought, it’s nice to see that the Japanese Olympic Committee is taking this seriously. The Olympics are not only about competing for your country, but also representing it both in and out of events. How hard is it to wear your suit the right way when you’re out in public? Especially when taxpayers are footing your bill to compete.

      Trey Kerby of Yahoo! Sports put it best in the above article:

      The anti-authority stance permeates snowboarding, but there are certain times when you have to play nice. One of those times is the Olympics. Your country is paying for you to represent them. You get the chance of a lifetime to do something hardly anyone else gets to do. And it’s all free. Pretty sweet deal. So just go with the flow.

      Well said.

      The Olympics, Video

      Unsafe luge track to reopen with raised wall

      February 13, 2010 /

      On Friday, Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed and was killed after taking a dangerous turn during a practice run at the Whistler track. The track was immediately closed, but now the International Luge Federation is saying training will resume this weekend after proper adjustments are made to the turn in question. The Vancouver Organizing Committee will reportedly raise the turn’s outside wall and alter its ice profile.

      From The Vancouver Sun:

      Vanoc released a statement saying both the BC Coroners Service and FIL officials had investigated the accident. The federation concluded Kumaritashvili failed to make a correction once he entered the final curve and slammed into the pillar.

      “It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16,” the FIL said. ” This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident.

      “The technical officials of the FIL were able to retrace the path of the athlete and concluded there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track.”

      This, to me, sounds like the FIL is subtly blaming the athlete for his death. They aren’t being crude about it, but the federation certainly isn’t taking any responsibility.

      Also, there must be some “deficiencies in the track” if the VANOC is modifying the track after this tragic accident. In retrospect, I’m sure we’re all wondering why proper precautions weren’t made beforehand. Given the years of preparation, how did this happen? Why wasn’t the wall higher in the first place? Why weren’t those steel poles padded? Did those poles have to be so close to the track?


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      News, The Olympics

      Lindsey Vonn’s chances to compete in Olympics increase

      February 12, 2010 /

      The gods perched atop Olympia are certainly looking out for Lindsey Vonn. America’s hopeful in the women’s downhill will now have some more time to nurse her bruised shin as the event’s second practice session has been cancelled.

      From FOXSports.com:

      Vonn had decided Thursday to participate in the first downhill training session, but that was called off after only two racers.

      She had been considered a medal contender in all five Alpine events, including an overwhelming favorite in the downhill. But that was before she revealed Wednesday that she was hurt last week in pre-Olympic practice.

      After fretting about the injury, after using painkillers and a Novocaine-like numbing cream to dull the aching, after getting back on her skis and back on a mountain, Vonn keeps awaiting a chance to take a full-fledged training run down the Olympic downhill course.

      Vonn’s first race in these Olympics is scheduled for Sunday. Hopefully she’ll compete.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      News, The Olympics

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