2010: The Winter Olympics

To be frank, I haven't watched a single minute of the 2010 Winter Olympics from Vancouver, Canada. I've never much been one to watch the Olympics either - I never watched a whole Olympics, but only bits and piece. Mainly, I'm a winter X-Games kid of guy - it happens every year and, roughly, the same people are involved. I can connect with the athletes involved and feel like I know them. I don't really feel connected to the Olympics because I don't follow the athletes that participate in the Olympics.

But strangely enough, I feel a pride well up in me when I see the United States, as of now, leading the medal count with 8 overall medals and tied with Germany and France with 2 gold metals respectively. I suppose its some kind of hidden national pride. But I don't watch it. I'm more of a football guy - no baseball, no basketball, no golf or tennis. Football and soccer and rugby.

But I will comment on a situation that has arisen during this year's winter games - track speed and availability in regards to the death of Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. Kumaritashvili died Friday, Feb. 12, during a training run at Whistler Sliding Center at the Whistler Blackcomb  resort in British Columbia.

Critics and other athletes alike are voicing concern over the speed of the track. Topping out at speeds above 90 mph, Whistler's speeds are acknowledged by many as non-necessary speeds for luging. Luging speeds of 84 mph are, theoretically, attainable, but not common said Interantional Luge Federation President Josef Fendt (Cnn.com). Moreover, other sled-sport teams, such as Skeleton, Bobsled, and other Luge teams, were concerned before the start of the Olympics due to lack of training time on Whistler's tracks. Apparently, sled teams, except the Canadian teams, were allowed ample training on Whistler's notoriously fast course.

Critics also voice concern over the protection provided on the course. Many of the metal columns lining the track for support are un-padded and exposed - Kumaritashvili hit one of those un-padded girders. 

But others are not so fast to blame anyone or anything in particular. Dr. Kevin Plancher, a doctor for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team, said athletes, being competitive by nature, can sometimes push themselves too hard, inviting greater chances of injuries (Cnn.com). He continued, "We have to educate our athletes to what they should or should not be doing," (Cnn.com). And since the accident, many athletes have confessed that they do not see Luge as a dangerous sport.

"But luge athletes will be the first to tell you they are more driving technicians than adrenaline junkies, and when pressed about why they would participate in a sport that's so dangerous, several concede they don't consider the sport to be that risky," (Cnn.com, David Epstein).

But all concede that Whistler is faster than most tracks, if not the fastest track. And the question is raised: do sled sport, Luge, Skeleton, Bobsled, have to be so fast? Yes, teams are racing against each other, but only in time-trial. This is not Nascar where each sled team races alongside each other towards a fininsh line. If track speeds were decreased in order to promote the safety of athletes, the same priniciples of competitiveness would still survive and the racers would race the same ways, just at slower speeds.

Just a thought.