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Luger Who Died Was Terrified of Track
online.wsj.com ^
| FEBRUARY 14, 2010
| Samatha Shields
Posted on 02/14/2010 12:58:03 PM PST by fuzzybutt
BAKURIANI, GeorgiaThe young Georgian luger who died in a horrific training accident hours before the opening of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on Friday told his father he was terrified of the track before doing the run that killed him.
"He called me before the Olympics, three days ago, and he said, 'Dad, I'm scared of one of the turns,' " David Kumaritashvili said in an interview at his house in the small mountain town of Bakuriani on Sunday.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2010olympics; luge; luger; olympics
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To: righttackle44
Those of us have played sports understand why he went down the track. When you are a member of a team, you grow to love your teammates, and you are willing to do your best for them. He had trained long and hard for his event, he was selected to for his country's team, so he did what he had to do. His commitment went from doing his personal best to doing his best for his teammates. Add to that he comes from a very small, very poor country. His country and his Olympic committee supported him with a number of costly resources, and so he wanted to do his best for the committee that selected him. Then add to that his commitment to doing his best for his country. It's not difficult to understand why he did what he did despite his fear. I honor that kind of man who makes that kind of commitment, then follows through. Well put, righttackle. This was not some idiot who travelled out to the middle of nowhere to climb a mountain with the possibility of placing others (aka, rescuers) at risk. A track (luge, auto racing, etc.) *should be* a controlled environment. Thanks to people such as Jackie Stewart, auto racing is *much* safer today for drivers and spectators compared to past years (1955 Le Mans disaster comes to mind).
Anyway, who the hell places beams/pillars just off the side of the track?! This reminds me of the death of Princess Diana; there should be a smooth wall there (or as others have said, a (clear) tube)! I don't have a degree in physics or engineering, but apparently I can be more intelligent/sensible/logical than the dolts who engineered said track/tunnel!
41
posted on
02/14/2010 8:11:26 PM PST
by
Tarkus2040
("In politics the middle way is none at all." --John Adams)
To: mware
I'm sure there is lots of pressure on these kids. I do have to say that the limits have been pushed too far in some of these events.
42
posted on
02/15/2010 12:26:34 AM PST
by
DoughtyOne
(God, Family, Friends, Home, Town, State, the U.S., Conservatism, Free Republic & a dollar a day...)
To: Carley
Whine? He expressed his concerns to his dad and died.
I don’t consider expressing valid concerns to be whining, and the outcome speaks for itself.
43
posted on
02/15/2010 12:30:41 AM PST
by
DoughtyOne
(God, Family, Friends, Home, Town, State, the U.S., Conservatism, Free Republic & a dollar a day...)
To: All
44
posted on
02/15/2010 12:59:57 AM PST
by
deks
To: Jmouse007
The track should have a removable class top all the way through. Guaranteed 100% luger will not come out of the track.
45
posted on
02/15/2010 7:15:12 AM PST
by
SQUID
To: Jmouse007
Kinda like the tiger cage designers in San Fran.
Like Joe Rogan said, "If you're gonna put a monster in a box, you might want to put a TOP on the box!"
46
posted on
02/15/2010 7:17:51 AM PST
by
thefactor
(yes, as a matter of fact, i DID only read the excerpt)
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