Luge Death at Olympics

[Larz]

Did anyone see this video from today? Was all over the national news/espn.

That was one of the scariest fucking things I've ever seen. They say the guy was clocked at like 89 MPH when he jumped the track and slammed into that steel girder.

RIP.

[Hellbat]

Yeah, everyone here has been talking about it all day. Crazy stuff. I bet 1000 people could try and go off where he did and not be able to hit the pole too.

21 years old, such a shame. Hopefully Georgia goes chin up and keeps at it, there has been talk of them withdrawing from the games completely.

[skorb]

yeah that vid was pretty extreme. he got all squirrelly at the bottom and just ate it up over the lip and hit that pole upside down.

Georgians you need to get your shit together and keep competing, you think your bro would want you to quit?

[Hellbat]

The latest is the Georgians will not be pulling out of the olympics.

[lerxstcat]

I saw an article on this luge course in the pregames shows and it seems that even the best lugers are busting their asses on this course. Wonder if they went too far in making it a difficult and hazardous course?

[fordsho90]

Its a shame he died but at least he died doing what he loved; now if only we could all go out that way.

[VitaminG]

I haven't seen video but was reading about it this morning. Just tragic.

[Trussrod]

The evening news on ABC and CBS had the vid as their lead story and warned the audience before playing it. Both played it more than once, too. It was brutal... I feel bad for the guy's friends and family. Glad the Olympics are in Canada though--seems like a huge waste of money.

[shreddermon]

That was brutal to watch. So severe, looked like he might've died on impact. Very sad. RIP.

I'm no expert, but IMHO, unpadded steel girders should be nowhere near the end of a speed-based course like that, especially right after a curve. If that were open air there - or, better yet, a smooth wall - he might've survived.

[Scooter]

Not a girder, its a galvanized column. Structural steel does not give way to a human body. RIP, I don't think padding could've helped that, the guy never had a chance. Maybe open air, or smooth wall, but that was brutal.

[Davey]

padding wouldn't have helped.. they need to seal off that side, like a hockey ring so they cannot fly out and that the worst that can happen is they just fall back into the course.

saw it yesterday.. it was brutal. it spun him and then he hit the column. it must've broken every single bone in his body.. it sucked!

[DRM]

Life's a sumbitch sometimes.

[Shawn Lutz]

doesnt make sense to have those steel columns so close to the track, especially coming out of a turn at 90 MPH.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/nodar-kumaritashvili-video-fatal-luge-crash-9823485

21 year old kid probably stoked abut the Olympics and this happens the day before it starts...so sad

[Twitch]

ohhhh. Luge, I was thinkin bob sled. Wow, brutal, and I would be bringing up why there were steel girters that close to the track.

[Rsmacker]

He actually survived the impact, but they took him to hospital in a Toyota Prius ambulance........