Study finds Whistler luge track not significantly “more dangerous” than other venues
VANCOUVER — A new study says the luge track used at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, where an athlete died on the opening day of the Games, was not significantly “more dangerous” than other venues.
The study released Wednesday by researchers at the University of British Columbia into the death and the track’s safety found that high speed and athlete inexperience have been the top contributing factors to injuries and accidents on the track in Whistler, which is also used for bobsleigh and skeleton events.
“With an overall injury rate of 0.5 per cent, the track is pretty comparable to 16 other sliding tracks across the planet,” said lead investigator Peter Cripton, a professor of mechanical engineering whose research focuses on biomechanics.
“It was the athletes’ experience level and start location that had significant impacts on the frequency and severity of injuries.”