Harnessing speed will harvest gold
TURIN, Italy – They all slide. Blades on ice or skis on snow, they all do it.
Figure skaters, skiers, lugers, ski jumpers. Skeleton sliders slide headfirst.
And while they’re sliding – often at speeds faster than you drive on the interstate – the difference between being in the gold and being out of control can be smaller than a sequin.
That speed can get away from the best athletes in the world.
“Sometimes you catch it,” said Bonny Warner, a three-time Olympian in luge who crashed in her first Games in 1984. “And sometimes you don’t.”
Monday, Americans Lindsey Kildow and Samantha Retrosi did not. Both were hurt severely enough to be sent to hospitals.
Medals pavilion? Monday was more like a hospital ward.
“Women’s downhill: The San Sicario course took its toll on four skiers during training sessions.
In addition to downhill gold-medal contender Kildow, defending Olympic champion Carole Montillet-Carles of France, Allison Forsyth of Canada and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria went down. Forsyth tore ligaments in her left knee, and only Goergl finished under her own power.
“Luge: Retrosi’s crash was horrific to watch. She lost consciousness and had short-term memory loss in addition to cuts and scrapes. She has a slight concussion but should be released from the hospital today.
Retrosi, 20, of Saranac Lake, N.Y., was joined on the DL (downed lugers) by medal contenders from Italy, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.
Experience wasn’t much help, either. “Grandma Luge,” Anne Abernathy, 52, is out after breaking her wrist in practice.
“Snowboarding: Melo Imai of Japan was carried off the halfpipe course on a stretcher after she injured her back.
“Figure skating: During Monday’s pairs free skate, Rena Inoue and John Baldwin of the U.S. attempted to land their signature throw triple axel. Inoue fell badly on the landing, nearly hitting her face on the ice.
Later, China’s Zhang Dan fell spread-eagled on the ice while trying to land a jump, eventually falling into the boards. She was clearly in terrific pain but continued the program. The pair won the silver.