1st Casualty at the Olympic Games

[Penn]

Just heard this a little while ago. They're starting them farther down the shute. Something like, the men start where the ladies normally would, and then, the ladies start one level down from their normal place. It's suppose to not let them gather as much speed from the start.

That would make a lot of sense. If you've ever been snowskiing down a mountain, let's say racing in a giant slalom, or downhill race, you can then get a sense of the speed you're moving at. When I was a student at Albany St. University(long time ago), I was clocked at 68mph during a downhill run, and afterwards, the realisation hit me. Gosh, the memory flashes, things going by, out the corner of your eye, they were all in a whirr! I was focused on making it around the next gate, the flags, concentrating on making it to the finish line.

Something inside you goes "Wow!" But, doing 90mph? That's another story...

 

[DoWhat]

I was focused on making it around the next gate, the flags, concentrating on making it to the finish line.
..

Stud.

 

[FromTexas]

Stud.

Thats why his neighbors love to show their lacey things.

 

[itsbob]

i, these exposed steel beams could be dangerous".

obviously hindsight is 50/50, but they should a)wrap those beams in a nice protective padding, or b)block it off with a smooth wall so you can't fly off the track, if spectator vision is absolutly necessary, use plexiglass or something similar.

Padding would not have helped him.. the only thing (i think) that could have saved him was a system to keep him ON the track..