Video of the crash. It’s pretty apparent the course isn’t safe.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6202459n
You know it’s bad when someone hits a large steel piling and it goes “clang.”
Assuming that he slowed down to 33 m/s in tumble, and if we give him a tenth of a second to stop on impact...
...then he hit a sudden 33 Gs of force on impact, about 24 K-newtons of energy his body has to absorb. That's bone-crushing territory.
Statement
Date: February 12, 2010
For immediate release
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
The following statement was issued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in response to the tragic death today of a member of the Georgian Winter Olympic Team during a training run in Whistler, British Columbia:
“All Canadians were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of Georgian Olympic team member Nodar Kumaritashvili following a luge training accident in Whistler today. His competitive spirit and dedication to sports excellence will be remembered and honoured during the Games.
“On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen and I send our deepest sympathies to Mr. Kumaritashvili’s family and friends and the entire Georgian Winter Olympic team.”
- 30 -
PMO Press Office: 613-957-5555
This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca