This is crazy!

Romanian women’s luger hurt in crash

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP)—

Romanian luger Violeta Stramaturaru was knocked unconscious after slamming into several walls during an Olympic training run.

Stramaturaru was taken to an onsite medical facility for assessment. A team official said she may go to a hospital, but she is not believed to be seriously injured. She must get a medical clearance before she can compete in the games.

Stramaturaru was strapped to a backboard while members of the Romanian team looked on. She was responsive and moving her arms when lifted onto the stretcher.

Her scary crash came moments after her sister, Raluca, had safely navigated the 16-turn track.

After her accident, Violeta Stramaturaru slid limply along the ice while her sled continued through curve 16. At the finish area, her sister ran to the end of the observation deck high above the track for a closer look as the public address announcer directed medical personnel to the scene.

Shortly after the accident, U.S. luger Megan Sweeney went airborne while exiting the final turn and crashed. She was shaken but walked away.

The Whistler Sliding Center track is among the world’s most technically challenging courses. Racers are expected to threaten several speed records during the luge, bobsled and skeleton competitions.

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer

Feb 11, 9:16 pm EST

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/luge/news?slug=ap-lug-romaniancrash&prov=ap&type=lgns

Nodar Kumaritashvili, Olympic Luger, Dies After Crash

A Georgian Olympic luger died Friday after a high-speed crash on a track that is the world's fastest. Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled during training, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line, at speeds over 90mph. Paramedics and doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.

 

Rescue workers were at Kumaritashvili's side within seconds. Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.

The first sign Kumaritashvili was truly in trouble came only three seconds before the crash on Curve 13, the most perilous turn. His speed of 89.4 mph - his best during six training runs on this track - almost certainly means he had never gone faster.

Kumaritashvili's line entering the next-to-last curve had him traveling along a higher route than most racers prefer. That's where it got especially dangerous. His 176-pound body was no match for the gravitational forces along that sweeping turn. That, plus the high rate of speed, sent him careening up the high, banked, ice-covered wall.

Sliding diagonally down the wall, Kumaritashvili hit the corner entering the final straightaway with his lower-right part of the body. The impact knocked him off the sled and sent him flying across the track.

After smashing into the pole, he was motionless on a metal walkway. His left leg was in the air and his left foot was propped atop the track wall when the first rescue worker arrived and placed both hands on his helmet.

The rest of men's training was canceled for the day, with VANOC officials saying an investigation was taking place to "ensure a safe field of play."

The danger of the Whistler track has been talked about for months - particularly after several teams, protested over access restrictions for everyone but Canada.

 

Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.

 

This was Kumaritashvili's second crash during training for the games. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs, and in the runs he did finish, his average speed was about 88 mph - significantly less than the speed the top sliders are managing on this lightning-fast course.

Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was briefly knocked unconscious and at least four Americans - Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked - have had serious trouble just getting down the track.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/12/nodar-kumaritashvili-cras_n_460474.html