I'm told biking is unsafe - let's try the luge instead.

[Sid Squid]

Ouch. Ouch lots.

Click me. (http://vimeo.com/9410364)

[davepreston]

you do know the boy didnt make it

[Mr Speirs]

RIP. Poor Nodar.
They are still competing in the event today though...all the others that is. Can't wait til the coverage starts!!

[Sid Squid]

So I understand.

[instigator]

It does look absolutely fantastic fun though.

[Sean_C]

Fun?
Poor old boy.

That looks about as much fun as chucking yourself off a sky scraper.

[kwak zzr]

i think id rather trust 2 wheels

[Sid Squid]

Fun yes - but I think you'd need to be unhinged.

Just like some people say about us and our bikes - which is essentially what I was getting at when I posted it.

Perspectives, perceptions - there's no absolutes, it just depends on your point of view.

[kwak zzr]

About the same time i smashed my collarbone a girl in my street had her leg broken in 2 places by a boy running into her on a push bike? point taken, this was my ammo when everyone kept saying "those motorbikes are too dangerous"

[Alpinestarhero]

There is a danger element to anything. You do what you can but sometimes something really rediculously improbable occurs and we get this sort of situation with this young fella passing on

Look at some of the motorsport incidents, craig jones for example. And F1 is really really safe nowadays but still look what happened to Massa last season, he was lucky to have not been killed

[SoulKiss]

All things Olympic should be banned - its obviously very dangerous, there's even one gamed where there are loads of people going about in wheelchairs and competing how dangerous must that be !!!

Sign up to the Online Petition NOW!!!

Oh one exception, the Little Chef Olympic Breakfast is exempt !!!

Obviously its a sad thing that the guy in question died, and this post is about the Games, not the Players...

[yorkie_chris]

Bike racing is as safe as sat watching TV compared to that, square edged posts next to track! Ouch.
At least at racetrack you get some nice kitty litter to tumble like a ragdoll and break your arms and leg in.

[Mr Speirs]

145kmph and no body armor....ouch.

[yorkie_chris]

What's that in real money about 80?
you can be wearing all the leathers in the world and it'll still probably kill you if you hit a lamp post at that

[northwind]

I can see why people are getting worked up about it, sure it's a dangerous sport but the design here seems to make it unneccesarily risky. No different to expecting gravel traps at racetracks, or crashbags on trees in the skiing, you can't make this sort of thing safe but you can make it a bit less deadly...

All very sad.

[maviczap]

Having watch the video, it seemed like a freak accident in the way he flipped over the edge of the track and hit the post after coming off his luge. Looked to me like he died instantly, as he didn't move after hitting the post, if that's any consolation :(

The only thing they could do is to modify the saftey barriers to ensure no one exits the track and just slides down the track. Less chance of hitting something hard and imovable :(

At least he was doing something he wanted to do, his choice, poor man :(

[Littlepeahead]

We tried to re-create the luge a few years back with the stairs in my living room and a metal tea tray. (After a few drinks and too much watching the W.O. on TV obviously). No long term injuries were suffered apart from a few minor bruises despite no protective gear being worn.

However, not long after I tripped down the same staircase wearing monster feet shaped big slippers, sustaining a badly sprained ankle. This is why racing down stairs in comedy slippers is yet to become an Olympic Sport.

[Viney]

Poor sod RIP, but i'd do it. Not sure about the 'Outfits' though. Pair of jeans, Hoodie and some reeboks should suffice :)

If this isnt 'Exciting' enough then there is always Street Luge

[plowsie]

What's that in real money about 80?
you can be wearing all the leathers in the world and it'll still probably kill you if you hit a lamp post at that
91mph on impact.

[Dicky Ticker]

Misread the header--thought it was "Lets try the lunge instead" Even that is risky when you have wonky knees.
At least he was living life to the full doing what he enjoyed,but like everything,when you push to the limit you can go to far with disasterous results

[rpwoodman]

I did street luge a couple of years ago. I rather enjoyed it and I didn't feel that is was particularly dangerous.

Obviously I wasn't anything like this standard, but I'd consider it less dangerous than a bike on the road.

[Drew Carey]

I did street luge a couple of years ago. I rather enjoyed it and I didn't feel that is was particularly dangerous.

Obviously I wasn't anything like this standard, but I'd consider it less dangerous than a bike on the road.

I would agree with that, as the friction is substantially more if you come off, you may scrape yourself a bit, but will be less likely to smash yourself in to stuff......but on ice, I would disagree......there is nothing to stop you, other than the track, or as in this case, objects outside the track.

Its like if you low side you tend to slide along and be relatively ok.....if you high side, you tend to smash bones up.....on an ice based luge you are more likely to fly at things, street based, more likely to agin slide into things.