Duncan Harvey Bobsled Crash: Australian Bobsleigh Pusher Hospitalized

Duncan Harvey, an Australian bobsled pusher, crashed during an Olympics training session Wednesday night. He has been hospitalized as a precaution, according to the AP.

Harvey "was conscious and walked off the track under his own power Wednesday night before being taken to hospital," sources tell the AP.

The crash occurred just five days after Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed during a training run hours before the Olympics officially began. (Warning: first link contains extremely upsetting images.) Harvey crashed on the same track, one of at least seven that occurred Wednesday.

UPDATE: Harvey has been cleared to resume training Thursday.

Comments

[CynicalDog]

05:48 PM on 02/18/2010

“At Park City in 2002 (for the Salt Lake Olympics), there were 17 crashes in Heat 1 of official training,” said Don Krone, spokesman for the International Bobsleigh Federation.

There were only 8 crashes on the Vancouver track, so I assume you'll be doing a story now on the terrible, dangerous track that US Olympic officials permitted in 2002? Every training crash is not news... they're common events.

[landmine]

08:20 AM on 02/19/2010

Oh, you want to talk safety issues at the PC track?
Bring it on.

[CigarGod]

08:58 AM on 02/19/2010

"Every training crash is not news... they're common events."


Unfortunately, in your rush to minimize the issue, you have used a very shallow argument.

There are reasons for each crash. Some are coaching errors. Some are driver error. Some are design errors. I could write a book on the subject.

[FlippyO]

09:35 AM on 02/19/2010

Well, where's your explanation for why there were twice as many crashes in SLC? How is it a shallow argument when all people are talking about is this crash and that crash and oh how terrible, people are crashing in Vancouver?

If you want to "write a book" about it, have at it. Explain exactly how Vancouver is more dangerous than SLC, even though there were only half as many crashes.

Also, when a luger who is ranked pretty low gets 26 training runs on a course, how many is enough? Is there really time to give each luger as much time on the course as they want, when a low-level luger gets 26 training runs?

[KIVPossum]

10:53 AM on 02/19/2010

I understand you are well involved in the sport.

What's your take on this track? Safe, dangerous, too fast, people pushing the limits?

[Brooke Steele]

03:42 PM on 02/18/2010

The nature of all sports is to keep pushing the envelope. Faster, more daring. Gymnastic type athletes design more daring flips/ twists, but the only way the sliders (skiing, snowboard cross, sliding) can push the envelope is through more challenging courses. His death was a tragedy, and perhaps there should be a pre- qualifying event to decide if a competitor can handle the course. Maybe start the men at the women's starts for the first training run? It is easy enough for skaters/half-pipe athletes to design more conservative routines, but the sliders have only one track to choose from. Maybe the sleds need to be equipped with brakes so they could limit themselves if they feel out of control.

[CigarGod]

09:00 AM on 02/19/2010

All the athletes are pre-qualified.
They work up the circuit ladder like any other athlete/sport.

[Aesthete]

12:43 PM on 02/18/2010

I can't recall a time when the combination of speed and competition was not fraught with physical danger.

[Ben Cohn]

11:48 AM on 02/18/2010

Prediction: In a few days the Skeleton and Bobsled events will be over. No one else will have died and there will be smiling athletes. Maybe then we can put this to rest.

[CigarGod]

09:01 AM on 02/19/2010

What would we do without people who rush to minimize and reject the lessons learned from mistakes?

[HeraSentMe]

10:36 AM on 02/18/2010

I bet the luge telecasts get a lot more viewers now people know a fatal crash might be in the offing.

[Fight4Freedom2008]

12:07 PM on 02/18/2010

I thought the luge moved to a less dangerous track? I think the individuals who design the killer track, want to set a record, that's all.

[SharkD]

02:53 PM on 02/18/2010

NPR covered this yesterday: The Whistler Sliding Centre was built in a very steep valley, so there are fewer 'horizontal' segments of the track, to fit within the terrain.

An alternate location for the Sliding Centre, closer to Vancouver, was considered to be a better environment for a more traditional track, but VANOC chose the Whistler site in the belief that having the track in the high-end ski resort town will bring higher revenues once the Olympics are over.

[MurrayAbraham]

10:33 AM on 02/18/2010

Seven bobsleds turned over during last training. Amongst them two Swiss teams who are among the best in the world! Luckily there weren't any serious injuries. If even the slightest mistake puts you on your head there is a problem with the design of the track.

[alysheba 3]

03:36 PM on 02/18/2010

A problem with the track, or with the speed they were trying to obtain.

Bobsleds have brakes. The sledders can slow down anytime they want too. They choose.

[landmine]

10:16 PM on 02/18/2010

Sorry, no.
The ONLY time you ever apply the brakes is in the outrun...the end.
If you apply then during a run, you will crash.

[CigarGod]

08:45 AM on 02/19/2010

No bobsledder ever uses brakes on a run until they come to the end of the track. To do so would:
1. flip them over.
2. tear up the ice

[RSKaz]

09:59 AM on 02/18/2010

Was he texting?

[Bushisgone]

09:35 AM on 02/18/2010

Come on everyone

Sports are dangerous, just like everyday life is dangerous

Luge, Bobsled are extremely dangerous as are other sports, half pipe, downhill sking

Its a risks these athletes will take every time.

[landmine]

10:11 AM on 02/18/2010

But tracks should not be designed wrong as this one is.

[alysheba 3]

11:23 AM on 02/18/2010

The track was not designed wrong, and the athletes control their own speed by the angles they take the corners and by using braking methods. The athletes chose to go fast enough to crash in an attempt to win.

[Ben Cohn]

11:44 AM on 02/18/2010

The track is fine. Listen to the VAST MAJORITY of the athletes they have asked. Heck the women lugers were pissed because they said it was WAY too easy when they moved them down. These sports are like auto racing...crashes happen, and we just hope they are not to serious.

[windup]

11:16 AM on 02/18/2010

But I'd like to see the statistics about crashes at other Olympic Games. Sometimes the courses are made too difficult. I remember watching the cross-country equestrian event one year and seeing horse (and of course rider) go down one after another in a terribly designed jump. No one should have to risk their lives because of a poorly designed course. Difficult yes. Deadly no.

[henrypapillon]

09:15 AM on 02/18/2010

Ah, to be young , bold and chivalrous.

[Domo Tronic]

08:41 AM on 02/18/2010

so tragic.... BUT who the hell signs up to hurl themselves down an ICY HILL at 140+ kph??

[lovesholiday]

09:12 AM on 02/18/2010

Duncan Harvey

[Ravyn]

08:30 AM on 02/18/2010

The skeleton and bobsled runs are suppose to be back at the top of the track so they'll run the full length of the run at the top speeds. Let's hope it doesn't get so fast anyone else gets hurt on it, but I wouldn't bet on it as this track seemed to be about 10 MPH faster than other tracks and the fastest run on a luge, prior to the fatal accident and the shortening of the run for luge competitors, was around 97 MPH!! There is such a thing as too fast.

[CigarGod]

08:45 AM on 02/18/2010

The designer says he tested it at over 100.
Hopefully, they will de-tune the ice and the speeds won't hit 90 for Skeleton and Bobsled.

[henrypapillon]

09:14 AM on 02/18/2010

They ought to throw a little sand on it.

[alysheba 3]

11:25 AM on 02/18/2010

Or the competitors can control their own speed using corner angles and braking techniques.

The athletes CHOSE their speeds.

[landmine]

08:24 AM on 02/19/2010

No. Not true.
Any drag achieved by dragging a foot or taking a slower line is negligible.

[Denise Rodriguez-Tavakolinia]

08:29 AM on 02/18/2010

The IOC will be very fortunate if they get out of this Olympics without anyone else being seriously injured or killed on that track. How stupid is it to play those odds?

[Ljilja]

08:11 AM on 02/18/2010

This track is dangerous. It seems ridiculous that we are all waiting for another major tragedy to occur in a calm and complacent way. The officials need to do something now!

http://graciouslivingdaybyday.com/

[MontrealerMatt]

08:25 AM on 02/18/2010

Uh...they did...They actually significantly altered the track and competition, making it incredibly boring. Germany, US, Canada, Finland, Russia are all teams (men's and women's) that have complained about the changes, that they were not consulted. The women's teams have nicknamed their race the Children's Course, now that they now have to start from the Junior Start. They are now only going 100-110 km/h, which is 30 km less than before, and 25 less than any other world cup track. That's sad, these people train for 4 years and lose their chance. These are also the same teams that made the commentary that the Georgian should not have been let on the track. The track is not dangerous, ask your own coaching staff, he was interviewed by NBC just 2 days ago. This is the Winter Olympics, and its difficult, people fall in downhill skiing all the time, why have there been no "this track is dangerous" posts? The guy died, and that's horrible, but quit looking for a murder suspect when he pushed himself down that track.

[CigarGod]

08:47 AM on 02/18/2010

Incomplete understanding.

[Gover]

08:48 AM on 02/18/2010

You should write that down in a letter, and send it to Nodar Kumaritashvili's family, and explain to them how not dangerous the track really is.

[banker67]

07:22 AM on 02/18/2010

What matters is TV ratings, not the people competing.
If it takes injuries and the occasional death to get the ratings, well, that's a sacrifice the network executives are willing to make.
Can you imagine how the TV execs were licked their collective chops after that poor guy died. Now it's not just a fast track, it's a 'deadly' track. Get more cameras over there, stat!
This is the Olympic equivalent of all those races in which loud cars go around and around in a circle all day. Who's going to watch that if no one ever gets killed?
I am always impressed by all the competitors, but wonder what kind of ratings the network is getting.
No one in my local government, at my school or at home talks about the Olympics at all.
No one.
Well, good luck to all competitors,especially those using this Rating Run of Horror.

[CigarGod]

08:05 AM on 02/18/2010

I'm sorry, I simply can't subscribe to so cynical a point of view.

[ruoth]

10:26 AM on 02/18/2010

It may be cynical.. but you need to realize that a lot of things in this country are run by tv ratings... sports, political tv shows, entertainment... etc. Next time you are watching MSNBC or Fox news, please realize that you are not getting any news per se'. All they do is get one talking head with one point of view, and get another talking head with another point of view and lets see if we can generate some huge argument that will be some good tv... the same with sports.. there is a reason ESPN cannot even show you any Olympic hi-light; because NBC has paid billions for the rights and they need to make their money back... last I checked, they are in this to make money, not to entertain you with sport.... so don't be too naive and think its that cynical... In the TV business, remember the customers are the advertisers and not the viewers.... if the advertisers are pleased then everything is kosher... the viewers happiness is just ancillary..

[patsydecline]

08:18 AM on 02/18/2010

agreed...
each year it gets worse and worse....
between tv ratings and the athletes spending as much time flaunting an image as they do
pursuing their sport... nothing seems to have much integrity...all about the sell...

[yorkie]

06:55 AM on 02/18/2010

The need for speed has reached a crescendo! It's reached an realistic point to have tracks that will lead to crashes etc. People were not meant to slide down tracks enhanced like this! It's like way beyond what they need to do. Whether it be auto,boat , snowmobile racing , the over the top need for speed is reached a boiling point that needs to edn with that mentality! The design is clearly flawed, and needs to end the races or greatly reduce the length of it now....I do not recall crashes in Calgary in '88, or in past recent Olympics of any note.

[CigarGod]

07:49 AM on 02/18/2010

All the ice track sports have a lot of crashes when competitors are relatively new and inexperienced or on a track for the first time or not on it often.

Due to the limited training time allowed by Canada, this is expected.
Wrong and against the Olympic Spirit, but expected.

What is more than wrong....is that limiting training has actually created a safety problem.
Combine that with a track not designed to keep athletes from flying out and the problem is compounded many times over.

[viewfromuphere]

08:14 AM on 02/18/2010

I keep hearing this limited training time but I'm not seeing numbers.

Exactly how much training time does everybody think the IOC should mandate for every Olympic team in every sport from now on.

Cause reading this blog you'd think home countries limiting practices etc was a new thing that's only ever happened this Olympic go round.

So mandating practice hours seems to me to be the answer.

On a happier note....I'm glad this gentleman walked off the course and was hospitalized as a precaution.

To be blunt...if this particular crash had happened at a meet in Europe (and likely there have been at least a couple), it wouldn't even get ink.

[CynicalDog]

05:17 PM on 02/18/2010

Canada limited training to other countries in the same way that the US limited training in the Salt Lake City games 8 years ago. It happens prior to every Olympics, and it's completely normal for the home country to have an advantage for that very reason. If the Olympics were being held in the US and "Own the Podium" was an American program, the slogan would be slapped on bumper stickers and Coke cans all over the country.

As for the design of the luge track, it was designed by a champion luger who's made a number of other tracks. The Georgian luger had at least 26 training runs on the track before his crash. How many training runs do you want the athletes to have? If someone was killed on training run #500 would the track still be to blame? Many luge competitors have been killed in competition over the years... it's not like it's a surprise that the sport is dangerous.

[Harry Pujols]

11:44 AM on 02/18/2010

You obviously didn't watch the movie "cool runnings"