Olympic luger killed...

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:34 pm

What a tragedy.....How sad this is...:-1

Olympic luger killed in crash | NBC Olympics

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:36 pm

:-1 It is so sad, I am still shocked by it.

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:37 pm

Kathy Ellen;1289956 wrote: What a tragedy.....How sad this is...:-1

Olympic luger killed in crash | NBC Olympics

so terrible what a horrible way to start things out. Chonsi just posted it on my thread too, gosh haven't even heard it on my office radio yet today wow. So awful. The poor lads family, from high hopes to tragedy. MY GAWD!

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:43 pm

minks;1289959 wrote: so terrible what a horrible way to start things out. Chonsi just posted it on my thread too, gosh haven't even heard it on my office radio yet today wow. So awful. The poor lads family, from high hopes to tragedy. MY GAWD!

Chonsi and I must have posted it at the same time.

Geeze, they didn't know how fast he was going but many sliders go in excess of 90 mph. The report said that several Olympians questioned the safety of this speed.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:45 pm

I think it is part of this sport, you know there can be possible injury. He luged because he loved it.

minks · Post by **minks** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:47 pm

chonsigirl;1289964 wrote: I think it is part of this sport, you know there can be possible injury. He luged because he loved it.

I remember people telling me at the 88 games here that the bobsled and luge events were not worth watching live because you only saw blurs going by.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:49 pm

They are like explorers, as they fly on ice down curved trails blazed before them.

I think that is why everyone is fascinated with bobsleds and luging, it has an element of risk. For this one athlete, he gave his life for his sport.

cars · Post by **cars** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:22 pm

How very sad, may he RIP!

Saint_ · Post by **Saint_** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 4:06 pm

Man. He was really moving. Some people say that they are pushing the limits when they make a track that will take an unprotected athlete up to 90 mph...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/akdobbins/nodar ... e-crash:-3

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:53 pm

It is indeed a tragedy. Hubby and I watched the video in horror.

I think the luge track does need to made safer for the athletes. They move so fast.

cars · Post by **cars** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:00 pm

I watched the video as well on ET tonight. He most likely would have only gotten injured, if they didn't have those "steel" poles right along side the track like that. What a stupid thing to have there! He would have just slid on the ice instead of smashing into those stupid poles!! :guitarist

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 7:02 pm

Awful and so very sad winter olympics are so very dangerous compared the the summer Olympics. :-1

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:49 am

The track was safe:

Probe: track didn't cause luger's death - 2010 Olympics - Yahoo! Sports

Not sure about that. IMO

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:11 am

They have adjusted the track for today, men will start at the women's starting point to lower the final speeds. (of up to 95 mph) The steel poles are covered today with a barrier of wood around that whole area and others, to keep them from harm.

hoppy · Post by **hoppy** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 11:17 am

A bad omen.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:23 am

Sat Feb 13, 2010 2:37 pm EST

Should NBC have shown video of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death?

By Chris Chase

When NBC kicked off its coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics on Friday night, it was with a much different introduction than originally planned. The broadcast started at 7:30 p.m. ET with a somber intro from Bob Costas and Matt Lauer that detailed the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvil earlier in the day. It was a respectful and necessary decision, but far from the triumphant opening sequence that was doubtlessly in the can.

After a brief description of the tragedy from Costas and Lauer, the pair sent it to NBC News anchor Brian Williams, who delivered a lengthy report on the death. At the start of the piece, Williams warned viewers that "the pictures are very tough for some people to watch," but he spoke for just a few more seconds before video of Kumaritashvili's final run began. So when the video opened with a shot of the 21-year-old waiting in the gate before his training run, it was a bit jarring. It became more so when the video jumped ahead to the horrific crash, which was shown in slow motion. Seconds later, a longer, slower shot was shown. A still photo of Kumaritashvili receiving CPR was also broadcast. During the eight-minute report that opened the show, NBC showed the crash three times, the final two of which lingered on shots of the Georgian's body.

Other than the initial airing of the video, everything else seemed gratuitous. Showing Kumaritashvili in the gate 48 seconds before his death was eerie, and the photo of him getting attended to by first responders was the definition of macabre. He was already dead. What is the news value in showing him futilely receiving CPR?

Though it's been written that airing the clip was a sensationalistic ratings grab, it was a perfectly acceptable decision (even if it's at 7:30 p.m. ET in a program geared toward family viewership). Still, it's safe to say that a vast majority of the 38 million Americans who were watching the Opening Ceremony hadn't yet seen the gruesome clip of Kumaritashvili flying off the course and crashing into a metal pole. Was a brief warning that suggested only "some people" would find it tough to see enough?

Before we vilify NBC, let's recognize that they were in a difficult spot. If they didn't show the video, people would be complaining that the network was protecting its asset (the Olympics) and not providing detailed coverage of an important story. That wouldn't be gratuitous, it would be bad journalism. Overall, the network handled a bad situation in a professional way.

NBC was right to cover the story, and showing the video was a necessary news decision. The network, which usually holds a tight grip on Olympic footage, even released the tape to other news organizations because "this was a significant news event." However, showing it three times at the beginning of coverage without an adequate warning and then airing a picture of a lifeless body getting medical attention was irresponsible.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 10:02 am

I think NBC stopped showing the video, because they showed an interview with his parents during that pre-thirty minute section. His father asked not to see the video, he didn't want to see his son's death. He already knew it in his heart. If I remmeber right, it was not shown after that part. (I could be wrong, I was still puttering to be done by the hour to watch the Opening)

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 11:09 am

chonsigirl;1290282 wrote: I think NBC stopped showing the video, because they showed an interview with his parents during that pre-thirty minute section. His father asked not to see the video, he didn't want to see his son's death. He already knew it in his heart. If I remmeber right, it was not shown after that part. (I could be wrong, I was still puttering to be done by the hour to watch the Opening)

hopefully everyone will stop showing it, enough is enough.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:11 pm

I agree Odie, they need to show respect for the deceased and his family. :-1

Odie · Post by **Odie** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:44 pm

chonsigirl;1290293 wrote: I agree Odie, they need to show respect for the deceased and his family. :-1

they do, I could never watch my son being killed.:-1