The hidden reason Olympic sledding is so dangerous

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  • Опубликовано: 30 окт 2024

Комментарии • 1 тыс.

  • @Vox
    @Vox  2 года назад +493

    Preliminary research on the q-collar, conducted on high school athletes, indicates it can go a long way in mitigating the damage of repeated brain injuries.
    If you’re interested in learning more, check out: www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-authorizes-marketing-novel-device-help-protect-athletes-brains-during-head-impacts
    Thanks for watching. -Marie

    • @merrisol
      @merrisol 2 года назад

      ,,

    • @VirtousStoic
      @VirtousStoic 2 года назад +23

      These sports should simply be removed from the winter Olympics. No helmet will fix this damage. Or at the least all these sled athletes need to be educated on sled head before they get into the sport

    • @youvebeenmilked2893
      @youvebeenmilked2893 2 года назад

      @Angie S hey there, I wrote a reply to a comment about “sled head” concussion syndrome that you replied to also. Read if you’re interested.

    • @VirtousStoic
      @VirtousStoic 2 года назад +14

      boxers mma football player know full well what the damage is and the risks and the conclusions. The athlete in the video said "I never got a concussion so I never knew all this could happen" and she was the best of the best. Had the best doctors and so on. And she didn't know. the issue is educated decisions based on actual risks don't exist in this sport. Because tbey think well the risk is crashing leading to concussion or injury to limbs. When as this video creator showed is the vibrations. living our life doesn't cause the vibrations this sport does. I never reply to comments to avoid trolls. But I am sorry you are not actually discussion or listening to facts. You are debating against your own self and your own thouhts and beleifs instead of this video and my comment. I won't reply anymore. Watch the will Smith football movie and you will see what happens when the risks of sport are hidden from athletes

    • @youvebeenmilked2893
      @youvebeenmilked2893 2 года назад +1

      Oh okay, got it. Maybe I misunderstood, thanks!

  • @apadgettski
    @apadgettski 2 года назад +2345

    I did a run down a bobsled on wheels in Whistler and it was the most jarring experience of my life. The throbbing headache lasted all day just from one run. This stuff is the real deal, coming from someone who has had concussions before.

    • @karupt422
      @karupt422 2 года назад +16

      I was in whistler and stayed in the presidential suite. It rocked.

    • @ilhamrj2599
      @ilhamrj2599 2 года назад +7

      ouch... wondering was that helmet even helped at all

    • @TheAnimale
      @TheAnimale 2 года назад +68

      @@ilhamrj2599 The helmet might not stop concussions but it will stop your skull from being cracked in half

    • @soulawaken24
      @soulawaken24 2 года назад +45

      @@ilhamrj2599 Helmets don't protect you from concussions directly. Concussion is the injury to your brain being rocked about on the INSIDE of your skull. Helmets provides you protection from external injuries, i.e. getting hit on the OUTISDE of your skull. That's why concussions are dangerous, because there's not a lot you can do to protect yourself in the process, except not taking part in the activity.

    • @derAtze
      @derAtze 2 года назад +14

      @@soulawaken24 i mean, partly both. The helmet provides additional cushioning and spreads out the impact over a larger area, so on the one hand it reduces risk of concussion and on the other hand risk of skull breaking

  • @imadrachidi2736
    @imadrachidi2736 2 года назад +465

    I still remember Nodar Kumaritashvili's death during his last practice hours before the opening ceremony in 2010. Even his teammate chose to withdraw to attend the funeral. One of those sad and tragic moments at sports.

    • @nj2526
      @nj2526 2 года назад +61

      His nephew Saba was 9 when this happened. Saba qualified and just competed at the Beijing Olympics in honour of his uncle.

    • @purplerabbit638
      @purplerabbit638 2 года назад +14

      I remember that incident so vividly. The video was brutal

  • @volteskai
    @volteskai 2 года назад +1266

    As a breakdancer who has been noticing memory loss, this is eye opening and I'm wondering if this research has any implications on other lesser known sports.

    • @Yvaelle
      @Yvaelle 2 года назад +89

      I would say anything that applies to brain injury in other sports potentially also applies to you.

    • @jponz85
      @jponz85 2 года назад +1

      I'd love to learn please teach me I'll pay lol

    • @volteskai
      @volteskai 2 года назад +44

      @@jponz85 I'll get back to you once I learn how to protect my brain lol

    • @yourheartisamusclethesizeo2003
      @yourheartisamusclethesizeo2003 2 года назад +29

      @@nexustom5823 unnecessary

    • @abnormallynormal8823
      @abnormallynormal8823 2 года назад +28

      I was a stagehand for 10 years, and the number of times I’ve hit my head on a 2” steel pipe that flew in behind me is uncountable. I’d usually brush it off with a passive comment like ‘eh, I’ve been hit in the head by worse’ and continue working. I’m only 26, but I’m already noticing that I’m having trouble staying focused, and this video gave me a worrying look at the future

  • @tiger4thewin
    @tiger4thewin 2 года назад +394

    I was literally thinking about this watching how many luge athletes fell yesterday. Thanks for the timely Winter Olympics videos, Vox!

    • @VanSanProductions
      @VanSanProductions 2 года назад

      This sport is really cool. Maybe we can make it like VR thing.

  • @catinthemoonlight
    @catinthemoonlight 2 года назад +526

    I remember listening to a podcast how the American football players frequently retire and find long lasting brain damage troubling their lives and there's lots of money from the industry thrown at silencing people who want to bring attention to this issue. I can imagine micro concussion is even more of an issue which gets even less press. Thanks for raising people's awareness.

    • @sapphire3718
      @sapphire3718 2 года назад +21

      the disorder is called CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy

    • @condorX2
      @condorX2 2 года назад +1

      Just like opioid.
      People will forget the next day.

    • @sauercrowder
      @sauercrowder 2 года назад +1

      Not sure what you were watching but the silencing aspect is far less true today. It is talked about a great deal, there are new protocols in the game, and a lot of discussion around the age kids should be able to start playing tackle, etc. I would not be surprised though if the medical community basically says that this doesn't make it safe and if that is being suppressed.

    • @Mote78
      @Mote78 2 года назад +9

      Maybe brain damage may explain why some well paid athletes go broke and are homeless soon after retirement. Look at Iron Mike Webster. A great guy with 18 years in the NFL yet in less than 10 years after playing he was a broken man physically, mentally and financially. Now sledding too? We’re in an enlightenment. Thank goodness.

    • @condorX2
      @condorX2 2 года назад +3

      @@Mote78 👍

  • @NotFinalTillVinyl
    @NotFinalTillVinyl 2 года назад +132

    I knew one of the back ups for the canadian Olympic luge team. She had to stop competing because her spine had started to compress from the g forces she experienced. It's little wonder the athletes are getting brain injuries if the forces are strong enough to compress a persons spine. They should really look into how they can improve the safety of these sports before they end up getting banned out for being too dangerous.

    • @mikeskirk
      @mikeskirk 2 года назад +1

      They should just make it more well known. It's not like these people are making millions of dollars with no other options than doing a sport like most football players.
      They are rich people ruining their brains for pointless medals.

    • @newjerseyhater9237
      @newjerseyhater9237 2 года назад +1

      @@mikeskirk worst part is that most of the time they arnt even rich!

  • @NoName-vb2ez
    @NoName-vb2ez 2 года назад +854

    Just a suggestion....Sledding(in any form) should look to Formula 1 auto racing for the inspiration to make the sport safer. The leaps and bounds inherent to F1 safety are primary to any race and could be brought over to sledding e.g. HANS System, Halo, and even a five/six point restraint along with some form of suspension, just look at mountain biking; in particular Downhill Mountain Biking(front and rear suspension) along with advancements in smart Lycra race outfits, again just my observations in these athletic sports. (and yes F1 racing is a true sport with all the parameters of being an Athlete(just research their physical and mental training)....🤖

    • @affectedrl5327
      @affectedrl5327 2 года назад +65

      I was thinking the same adding a suspension shouldnt be that difficult and would massively reduce the vibrations

    • @mikeblatzheim2797
      @mikeblatzheim2797 2 года назад +48

      @@affectedrl5327
      That would however raise the centre of gravity and make the sled less predictable, therefore reducing the ability to control the sled. Something like a HANS device would probably be enough to inhibit most of the head movement.

    • @NoName-vb2ez
      @NoName-vb2ez 2 года назад +9

      @@mikeblatzheim2797 We also need to consider; the layman' terms of pressure (G-Force, both latitude and longitude on the participants of the sport. High pressure or G' are a contributing fracturing in the various sledding sports as they have a very physical effect on not just performance but has been discussed in this thread the mental state of the Athlete. To get to the crux of the matter this is the most probably (and the most simple "Occam's razor" of explanation of the matter), the forces in general are not met to be experienced by the most even top elite athlete....Sledding in all its form is dangerous as is Space Flight. It is because of an increasing understanding of the sport that we coming to this conclusion....IT'S LIKE SO MANY HUMAN ENDEAVOURS VERY DANGEROUS....this again is just my own opinion and observation....🤖

    • @Varuga
      @Varuga 2 года назад +40

      There is no money in sledding. There is going to be zero funding for any of those things. Unless they can make sledding more accessible for public entertainment, no one is going to care.

    • @austinkylereid
      @austinkylereid 2 года назад +11

      it is called the H.A.N.S device (Head And Neck reStraint)

  • @willypro4949
    @willypro4949 2 года назад +694

    Essentially, this a sport that needs motorsports like suspension and protection systems and it doesn't have them, they should look into upgrading their systems

    • @Zestric
      @Zestric 2 года назад +54

      This almost feels like the progression in motorsports we've had so far going from seatbelts to helmets to the HANS.

    • @alexandermallinckrodt2847
      @alexandermallinckrodt2847 2 года назад +49

      Suspension on Skeleton and Luge would be even more dangerous. You’d lose the feel for the sled which increases the likelihood of crashes. The IBSF knows about all this stuff, as do the athletes. It’s a risk.
      If you watch an F1 car they still get similar relative levels of vibrations to Skeleton or Luge even with their suspension.

    • @karl.t.d.
      @karl.t.d. 2 года назад +3

      But these protective systems also add weight, so it may take a while until it gets implemented

    • @Tiwack01
      @Tiwack01 2 года назад +5

      @@alexandermallinckrodt2847 You wouldn't lose any feel, you'd experience a different feel and have to adapt accordingly, they go so fast they have memorize the track anyway, suspension would help altogether.

    • @magiricod
      @magiricod 2 года назад

      @@alexandermallinckrodt2847 so why can't they use a mips style helmet to help with the vibrations and hits dulling the rotation of the skull

  • @jfarmerswatermelon6061
    @jfarmerswatermelon6061 2 года назад +338

    Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili suffered a fatal crash during a training run for the 2010 Winter Olympics on the day of the opening ceremony.

    • @diaxdiax
      @diaxdiax 2 года назад +14

      that’s so tragic story in Georgian sport history 🇬🇪

    • @Jesse__H
      @Jesse__H 2 года назад +18

      Yeah I remember that. He flew straight into a steel support beam. Tragic.

    • @dadaguiar
      @dadaguiar 2 года назад +11

      i remember watching this live, it was so jarring. that track was not well made.

    • @nitskatsomaia2706
      @nitskatsomaia2706 2 года назад +7

      Saba kumaritashvili,his cousin competed at this olympics ❤️

    • @logan_page
      @logan_page 2 года назад +3

      Yeah, because of a poorly constructed track.

  • @valciobanu
    @valciobanu 2 года назад +184

    Very interesting. How come there’s no dampening system on those sleds? I’m sure the technology is there. Hydraulic or even foam shocks can be very effective I believe.

    • @dr_jj
      @dr_jj 2 года назад +51

      Without knowing the danger, speed probably was the main priority for all parties in the sport. Knowing that there are researches being done, I hope some safety measures will be put in place, but sliding sports in general isn't as popular and doesn't have much monetary power for infrastructure unlike NFL or F1 so... who knows :/

    • @LawnPygmy
      @LawnPygmy 2 года назад +7

      Money.

    • @zee9709
      @zee9709 2 года назад +14

      Athlete health in later years is an afterthought

    • @mitchek6509
      @mitchek6509 2 года назад +1

      Thinking back on the ones I've ridden they really didn't have much but the entire deck of the sled is made of a heavy foam

    • @christopherharvie8716
      @christopherharvie8716 2 года назад +5

      Speed. It’d slow them down dramatically.
      Let’s face it who goes into those sports with safety bring their highest priority?

  • @4-Avenue
    @4-Avenue 2 года назад +107

    sad stuff i remember hearing about this stuff when i was a kid in the 90's in canada but people just didn't care because the sport itself was in decline... so they sorta swept this under the rug attitude

    • @4-Avenue
      @4-Avenue 2 года назад +3

      @@justayoutuber1906 exactly i never even knew a thing about NFL concussions until the movie with will smith was released... I would be like "I guess the helmet protections them that well" to "OMG they might as well not wear a helmet"

  • @cromwellcruz
    @cromwellcruz 2 года назад +256

    i can't believe my friend remarked sledding sports is so easy because" you just push then ride and the gravity does the work for you "

    • @TK-gd9td
      @TK-gd9td 2 года назад +41

      If it was that easy for your friend he would be world renown multiple gold medal winner by now.

    • @terryarmbruster9719
      @terryarmbruster9719 2 года назад +6

      Technically hes correct physics wise as work in physics is what one would do vs gravity. Lol old school physics joke most uneducated people dont get.

    • @TeKaMOTO
      @TeKaMOTO 2 года назад +6

      A lot of people like to say the same about motocross. "How do you get tired riding a motorcycle?! You just twist the throttle and the bike does all the work for you!"

    • @RaymondHng
      @RaymondHng 2 года назад +3

      Does your friend think that one just saws a bow back and forth across a violin and music comes out?

    • @bobbobbinson1841
      @bobbobbinson1841 2 года назад +12

      I think you friend meant "sledding is easy COMPARED to some other sports because you just ride a sled down a hill." THIS Is still a true statement. I guarantee 90% of you all could ride a bobsled. you would be slow... you might fall off... But you WILL get to the bottom with little practice. and there are places where you can do it today. but 99% of you will NEVER be able to ,for example, pole vault without tons of practice first. this is what that gentlemen was meaning to say.

  • @gdrocket540
    @gdrocket540 2 года назад +104

    Oh my god Vox doing consistent uploads??? BEST MONTH OF MY LIFE!

    • @Dochdochdoch01
      @Dochdochdoch01 2 года назад +2

      May be China funded them to upload videos related to Olympics.

    • @tomasteixeira4582
      @tomasteixeira4582 2 года назад

      @@Dochdochdoch01 or Peacock …

    • @metalvideos1961
      @metalvideos1961 2 года назад

      @@Dochdochdoch01 you are such a bot

    • @Dochdochdoch01
      @Dochdochdoch01 2 года назад

      @@metalvideos1961 Your CCP makes bots.

  • @MiVidaBellisima
    @MiVidaBellisima 2 года назад +537

    I don’t understand why this sport isn’t called out for how outright dangerous it is

    • @shanhussain6114
      @shanhussain6114 2 года назад +145

      Same reason American football, boxing, MMA and others are not: they put butts on seats and makes money

    • @kenopsia9013
      @kenopsia9013 2 года назад +41

      because if we didn’t push the limits life would be boring, i don’t care about myself why should you

    • @SweetJuliaBrown
      @SweetJuliaBrown 2 года назад +35

      its an inherit risk that comes with the sport, its also what make a sport a sport !. Its best that we accept it and move on

    • @matthewchinmingwei6721
      @matthewchinmingwei6721 2 года назад +21

      Some people put less value on lives than they do for entertainment and money.

    • @stansman5461
      @stansman5461 2 года назад +21

      Even if it is called out, you can't ban it. People know the risk when they partake in the sport. "My body, my choice" doesn't just apply to when you want an abortion.

  • @micahkiyimba8641
    @micahkiyimba8641 2 года назад +250

    OMG, it seems like she has C.T.E...She described the symptoms an it makes lots of sense since she was in a fast sport and likely sustained many hits to her head that jostled her brain a lot.
    This is common in Boxing, Soccer, Rugby and NFL.

    • @amazingabby25
      @amazingabby25 2 года назад +9

      Even baseball from sliding into home plate

    • @aeway_
      @aeway_ 2 года назад +12

      I think she knows lol

    • @dawsonharris5498
      @dawsonharris5498 2 года назад +13

      Brain injuries are just plain scary to think about. I suffered a concussion in 2012, then a very minor one in 2015. Summer of 2021 I started having debilitating headaches. Doctor thought I might be experiencing post-concussion syndrome but by the time I could get into an office for a brain scan the symptoms had completely stopped and the neurologist said it was possible but he couldn't be certain and would need to do a scan when the headaches were happening to pinpoint what was going on.

    • @EmperorGoliaththeEverliving
      @EmperorGoliaththeEverliving 2 года назад +1

      @@dawsonharris5498
      I would think he would at least want a scan at that point for comparison's sake as what you were at that point. As was shown in the video, I think that scan was while she did not have any symptoms.

    • @dawsonharris5498
      @dawsonharris5498 2 года назад +3

      @@EmperorGoliaththeEverliving I still got the scan. Neurologist said everything looked normal at that time. But that's the thing about our brains is we just really still don't know, but we keep learning more every year

  • @ian2000
    @ian2000 2 года назад +49

    I'm trying to figure out how someone gets into this sport.

    • @maxbrinkrode7411
      @maxbrinkrode7411 2 года назад +3

      do you have any connection to the sport? Also, anywhere near snow, cold weather, a bobsled run?

    • @jonathanjadotte
      @jonathanjadotte 2 года назад +1

      $

    • @miha_ity
      @miha_ity 2 года назад +4

      This and ski jumping...imagine the first day in ski jumping, it's not like basketball where coach goes"here kids have a ball shoot some hoops" :)))

    • @DeepValueOptions
      @DeepValueOptions 2 года назад

      Brain damage like foot ball

    • @kingarcthurus1049
      @kingarcthurus1049 2 года назад +2

      @@maxbrinkrode7411 it’s more then that very few countries even have the facilities for bobsleigh luge etc

  • @Sssilk84
    @Sssilk84 2 года назад +11

    I love these kinds of research videos. Getting new knowledge about a topic o would probably never think of looking up. Thanks Vox!

  • @tommytheschaffer6041
    @tommytheschaffer6041 2 года назад +204

    Huge respect for all the athletes!

    • @kazdenaze2221
      @kazdenaze2221 2 года назад +5

      not for putting their lives in danger. selfish

    • @cycologist7069
      @cycologist7069 2 года назад

      @@kazdenaze2221 ? Strange view point. So everyone who knowingly participates in an a dangerous sport is selfish?

  • @Fortzon
    @Fortzon 2 года назад +21

    You'd think after HANS device became mandatory in F1 and many other motorsports 20 years ago after the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr., the other sports regulatory bodies would have started developing their own version. I'll bet they could've made HANS device work for bobsleighs but concussion sensors and virtual training and cushions are the next best thing.

    • @skaldlouiscyphre2453
      @skaldlouiscyphre2453 2 года назад +3

      I'm not sure a HANS would protect racers against the equivalent to this in motorsports so it's possible that other sports might only be able to manage this risk, not eliminate it.
      The HANS device is for basal fractures and it works by isolating that Achilles heel from the forces, but this issue might be more a matter of how the soft tissue responds while under g-forces, which is somewhat harder to control.
      By analogy: you can hold a bucket full of water upright in the back of a pickup truck while it bounces on a rough road and maybe keep it from spilling but if the driver pulls the handbrake and spins the truck you might not keep the water from sloshing over the top, even if you've protected it from all the other types of forces that it's been subjected to.

  • @fabio.lous_
    @fabio.lous_ 2 года назад +15

    Those behind the scenes from the lasts videos are just too good!! Keep doing them please!!

  • @wdwerker
    @wdwerker 2 года назад +11

    I was able to make 4 runs on a practice bobsled track many years ago. The “sled” was a vinyl covered padded thing roughly the size of a refrigerator box. It was so fast and so thrilling the 4 of us kept going again until we had spent $100 apiece. We went too high on a turn and flipped onto the side and finished the run with our helmets occasionally scraping the wall. Even after that we made 1 more run. So I can grasp the danger and how addictive the adrenaline rush is as well.

  • @lausymaus9856
    @lausymaus9856 2 года назад +34

    Anybody who hasnt realised that all proffesional sports are severly unhealthy, should watch this.

    • @shigekax
      @shigekax 2 года назад +8

      Gonna start playing golf, dart and snooker

    • @rav1n393
      @rav1n393 2 года назад +2

      Curling?

    • @lausymaus9856
      @lausymaus9856 2 года назад +1

      @@rav1n393 id argue, maybe the backs hurt after a while :D

    • @quuq6259
      @quuq6259 2 года назад +4

      What? How does the dangers of sledding relate to all other sports? I'd argue the average pro athlete is much more healthy than the average person, since for most sports the must eat healthy and stay in shape. What is severely unhealthy about tennis or basketball?

    • @alexyoung9266
      @alexyoung9266 2 года назад

      Archery

  • @ntglf467
    @ntglf467 2 года назад +38

    I'm wondering if Formula 1 drivers experience similar things, as they have a ton of vibrations and G-Forces consistently during the race

    • @skaldlouiscyphre2453
      @skaldlouiscyphre2453 2 года назад +2

      I wouldn't expect it to be limited to F1, it's something I'd anticipate from anyone who's participated extensively in motorsports, especially if they started young. Oval racing involves sustained squishing forces mostly in one direction, road racing involves more instantaneous squishing forces in more directions but either way our inner structures have those forces transmitted through them and the strain is likely to cause physical damage to those structures if their ability to handle load is exceeded.
      Head injuries are probably a symptom of an adequately active lifestyle.

    • @maquettemusic1623
      @maquettemusic1623 2 года назад

      Maybe Sliding sports could look at implementing a harness device like in motorsports, but I know the head is important for movement during the run so I'm not sure if it's feasible.

    • @ntglf467
      @ntglf467 2 года назад +1

      @@skaldlouiscyphre2453 facts I just thought of F1 in the first place because it's the so called pinnacle of motorsports.

    • @ntglf467
      @ntglf467 2 года назад +3

      @@maquettemusic1623 I thought about something similar but from an another angle.
      Modern road bikes (bicycles) are super fast and efficient but most of the time also really harsh to ride. So manufacturers try to prevent vibrations without losing stiffness (which is important for efficiency) with special carbon layup, decoupling tubes into 2 pieces etc. Personally idk from what material a sled is made of but I see a possibility there.
      Also, they could use some kind of foam as a headrest like in F1 cars. (Especially for things like in 5:50)

    • @skaldlouiscyphre2453
      @skaldlouiscyphre2453 2 года назад +1

      @@ntglf467
      'so called' says it perfectly. Most of them started in go-karts though so their whole careers would likely be good examples of how damage builds up.
      Actually, I'd be curious about the people who stick with karts their whole lives. The high performance, along with a lack of suspension and mass might make them harder on drivers compared to actual cars.

  • @DanielRodriguez-gm1ih
    @DanielRodriguez-gm1ih 2 года назад +12

    It’s surprising how little protection they wear.
    It’s like they are doing it as a hobby instead of Olympic level.
    Motor-cross would be a similar level of equipment needed for stuff like this. Knee pads, chest protection, neck protection, helmet with face protection, hard boots.
    Plus definitely some form of suspension.

  • @impatrickt
    @impatrickt 2 года назад +68

    Its all Bob’s fault.

    • @cala-mm8ho
      @cala-mm8ho 2 года назад +17

      Yeah, Bob's led them totally down the wrong track, hasn't he?

    • @impatrickt
      @impatrickt 2 года назад

      @@cala-mm8ho LOL

    • @keirfarnum6811
      @keirfarnum6811 2 года назад

      Bob’s your uncle.

  • @crewmatewillthrowthesehand7600
    @crewmatewillthrowthesehand7600 2 года назад +7

    It's freaky how i got reminded of Luge by Watcher channel of top 5 sports. And then I remembered and search up the fatal luge accident years ago. And now, on the same day, Vox uploaded a video of why it's dangerous.

  • @rodp.1
    @rodp.1 2 года назад +14

    I'm surprised there's no proper suspension/ shock dampening. Seeing on board footage it looks very shaky, and I highly doubt the vibration is an essential part of the sport

    • @Joopyter724
      @Joopyter724 2 года назад

      It looks worse than go kart racing imo

    • @richardmillhousenixon
      @richardmillhousenixon 2 года назад +3

      There's not enough room in luge/skeleton sleds. Bobsleds might be able to have some sort of leaf spring suspension added, but given the speeds they endure, it would need to be so stiff for cornering that it wouldn't actually do much dampening.

    • @owenneale5912
      @owenneale5912 2 года назад

      @@richardmillhousenixon all of those things were banned after 1984 to lower costs and equalize the sport

    • @richardmillhousenixon
      @richardmillhousenixon 2 года назад

      @@owenneale5912 not to mention that it is nearly physically impossible to do so within the space of a luge sled

  • @techgirl7516
    @techgirl7516 2 года назад +6

    Georgian Sportsman died while competing at Vancouver Olympics (He was participating in luge). Everything happened live...

    • @karenmacdonald6190
      @karenmacdonald6190 2 года назад

      I remember that. The worst part was the news showed it again and again afterward.

    • @techgirl7516
      @techgirl7516 2 года назад

      @@karenmacdonald6190 yes🥺

  • @whocareswins1
    @whocareswins1 2 года назад +10

    “Your bones won’t break in a bobsled… oh no… they shatter!” - Irving Blitzer

  • @ManaSura_
    @ManaSura_ 2 года назад

    I understand how a huge industry like american football is impossible to put a stop to, due to all the different financial gain, but to find out that such a minor and unpopular sport (sorry but that's how i regard it personally) can not just be banned altogether, is mind-boggling. Honestly why people choose to invest themselves in such dangerous and physically damaging sports is beyond me.

  • @ToyaF82
    @ToyaF82 2 года назад +17

    Most of the Winter Olympic sports look dangerous 😳

    • @UrsaMajorPrime
      @UrsaMajorPrime 3 месяца назад

      Well, they do take place on the slipperiest of surfaces.....

  • @maybememory1
    @maybememory1 2 года назад +1

    Man, I’m not an athlete, but I’ve been off work for a year and a half from a concussion in a car accident. I didn’t even hit my head.
    I’ve been told that the more you get, the harder it is for your brain to recover, and the more susceptible you are to concussions. There are people who have had so many that they can get a concussion stepping off of a curb. That’s not even considering the small hits we get throughout childhood and our daily lives that aren’t caught.
    This is a really important conversation to have. If we don’t have our brain, we have nothing.

  • @d00mpirate
    @d00mpirate 2 года назад +23

    Vox- Please do a segment on Valieva the figure skater. I feel like her situation requires your investigative journalism skills. Her coach is known to be abusive. Russia is known for doping and trying to win at any cost. I feel like there is a can of worms just waiting to spill, and I'd love to learn more about whats going on behind the scenes.

  • @ethantomkins1206
    @ethantomkins1206 2 года назад +35

    Been playing Mario and Sonics Winter Olympic Games for years and I've NEVER crashed.

  • @TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs
    @TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs 2 года назад +55

    Is there science on headers in football/soccer causing brain damage?

    • @lordpotato9453
      @lordpotato9453 2 года назад +84

      Yes. A lot actually. Recently in England they made heading the ball for under 18s against the rules in a attempt to save developing brains

    • @adarshkumargm7819
      @adarshkumargm7819 2 года назад +1

      I think the movie concussion starring will smith speaks on the brain damage only

    • @amazingabby25
      @amazingabby25 2 года назад +6

      Oh yes, I work for a clinic that researches CTE. My kids will not play repetitive contact sports, I’m not even sure about baseball

    • @28th_St_Air
      @28th_St_Air 2 года назад +2

      It’s why headers are not permitted in youth soccer in ages under about 13

    • @NeonNinjaTimmyMcToaster
      @NeonNinjaTimmyMcToaster 2 года назад +7

      bro u like 5 years late cause science has found that both American and soccer football can cause some of the worse head injuries in sports.

  • @stevejewell8496
    @stevejewell8496 2 года назад +1

    SOMEONE who is involved in bobsledding, PLEASE look into the death of Top Fuel Funny Car driver Eric Medlen. He was killed by vibrations. The vibrations ripped his brain stem in half. The solution to this issue has already been invented for at least the bobsled. ISP will not help in Luge or Skeleton unfortunately.

  • @simongentry
    @simongentry 2 года назад +25

    hardly hidden! massive speed, head hits side, bad for head - similar to american football head injury.

  • @HairyKnees1
    @HairyKnees1 2 года назад +2

    I’ve had plenty of rough falls that probably caused damage (off horses, bikes, trees, rooftops, while skiing, and more), but the worst concussion I’ve ever had was slipping at the top of my very steep stairs! I came to at the bottom, and couldn’t even move without feeling like puking. For some reason I can’t fathom, at the time I vehemently refused to go to the doctor, even though I had a bad concussion and a potentially broken arm!

  • @kxng16
    @kxng16 2 года назад +18

    Penguins: goes sliding down an avalanche everytime without problem
    Humans: hey that looks fun, let's try it
    Also humans: why is this so hard and dangerous for us but not for penguins?
    Penguins: Haha bobsled go brrrr brrrr

    • @Apjooz
      @Apjooz 2 года назад

      Maybe these athletes should be fatter.

  • @your_avg_joe
    @your_avg_joe 2 года назад

    Whose watching this after seeing all the crashes in luge & skiing runs today in Beijing?
    It's frightening that even without crashing there can be so much damage done - almost as frightening as the courses each having one spot where multiple Olympic athletes crashed today.

  • @oshkrh
    @oshkrh 2 года назад +16

    If someone wants to do more research in the area, look up chronic traumatic encephalopathy. I haven't looked into the papers on sled head but it sounds like that to me

  • @vasilerogojan4520
    @vasilerogojan4520 2 года назад +2

    Another interesting video. Thanks. I'm waiting for another interesting topics on this channel as usual.

  • @bas.artistry
    @bas.artistry 2 года назад +3

    IMO I think bigger more insulated sleds could help cushion the brain while larger tracks with less g force turns could help with the other trauma to their brains. This could help fix the root cause of their problems and but there might be higher accidents with the sled falling over…

  • @barulios
    @barulios 2 года назад +2

    Nobody can compete with Micka, he makes it look too smooth.

  • @andreiperiainen4955
    @andreiperiainen4955 2 года назад +4

    the HIDDEN reason, really? "Lets slide down a curvy ice tube at 100 mph, what could go wrong?" don't think the danger is really hidden in any way here..

  • @thefunkopopcollector5044
    @thefunkopopcollector5044 2 года назад +2

    if it's this dangerous, why isnt this cancelled? or change the system so it's safe for the athletes. This isn't one of the major money making sport to begin with, so safety comes first

  • @yasu3d
    @yasu3d 2 года назад +10

    Correction about rollercoasters : The average G-Force experienced on a rollercoaster is ~3.5G Some reach the high 4s and some do hit 5 but most stay around 3.5

    • @Jamesfrancosdog
      @Jamesfrancosdog 2 года назад

      Cite your sources!

    • @chipweather
      @chipweather 2 года назад

      5 is enough to blackout a normal person. So its rarely seen on roller coasters and if they are seen, only for a second or less. You are totally correct

  • @hauyaohuiify
    @hauyaohuiify Год назад +1

    MotoGP riders: "childs play"

  • @ebiskner
    @ebiskner 2 года назад +3

    Good video, little disappointed that “g-force” wasn’t better explained since it’s more than just magnitude of g’s, duration and orientation are significantly more a factor than the magnitude of g’s. For example the body takes g’s best perpendicular, like laying down, and for short periods of time “instantaneous g”, and the body handles inverted g’s the worse and for any time longer than a few seconds.
    As I said good video, just would like to see g-force better explained.

  • @aturtlu2013
    @aturtlu2013 2 года назад

    This is incredibly helpful, thank you for sharing this.

  • @skyejamss
    @skyejamss 2 года назад +6

    This is an amazing documentary

  • @leangrypoulet7523
    @leangrypoulet7523 Год назад

    Same problem in professional rugby. Early onset dementia, not from one or two heavy concussive impacts (head on head in a tackle), but from hundreds of micro concussions in training and during matches during scrummaging, rucking, mauling, and of course tackling. Our brains simply aren’t designed for repetitive rattles or impacts.

  • @CjYaranon
    @CjYaranon 2 года назад +3

    I think we are treading a very steep path here... The question is how do we push the limits of 'faster, higher, stronger' without alienating human life?

    • @garycole520
      @garycole520 2 года назад

      We are already living in the age of extremism and hyper self gratification .

  • @mfree80286
    @mfree80286 2 года назад +2

    I'm surprised that nobody has taken noise reducing headsets and "gone heavy" with them... placing lightweight but powerful electromagnetic transducers on the helmets, with fast accelerometers that "read" vibrations and simply push the helmet the other way. There would be some loss of effectiveness through the padding, but it would still reduce the overall magnitude of a vibration.
    NHRA Top Fuel is another sport where vibration and G forces can end careers early, and in at least one instance lives. From nerve issues to detached retinas on the low end, up to a resonance issue with a chassis undergoing deflating tire shake ending the life of Eric Medlin in 2007 from diffuse axonal injury.

  • @dhruw9935
    @dhruw9935 2 года назад +3

    The first time i saw this sport i was like oh it looks so easy even i can hop on it and slide fast and all u need is to reduce the drag. But my views changed after seeing the 2010 olympic accident.

  • @joshuabluhm3871
    @joshuabluhm3871 2 года назад

    As a former worldchampion in bobsleigh I can confirm that the sport is portrayed correctly in the clip. There's constant vibration during the runs and hits when you're not getting in or out a corner correctly. That alone can feel like a carcrash. Health often comes secondary in the the realm of professional sports, thats not a novelty gimmick of sliding in particular. But I have to admit that I probably wouldn't recommend any young athletes to try sliding. It can bring so much joy, especially when you're successful and have a great team, but the sacrifice you have to make is part of your health.

  • @diarenee9012
    @diarenee9012 2 года назад +7

    That's scary

  • @madboyreadynow28
    @madboyreadynow28 2 года назад +1

    I remember a few years ago watching this guy fly off the track into a wall and died at the Olympics doing the luge.

  • @fh5kskalf
    @fh5kskalf 2 года назад +6

    This makes the other recent Vox video, about diversity in sledding sports, seem really weird.

  • @HKim0072
    @HKim0072 2 года назад +2

    I got semi-ejected from a car in an accident. Doctor made me not work for a week from my summer job. I doubt these athletes are taking a week off.

    • @HKim0072
      @HKim0072 2 года назад

      @@justayoutuber1906 Nope. Was sitting in the back seat. We didn't wear seat belts in the back seat (back then). My head broke the glass of a hatchback. Ended up sitting in the trunk.

  • @mastervz4806
    @mastervz4806 2 года назад +4

    Thanks Vox. Keeping my kids away from this even though I don’t know a single person who’s ever done this. But cool runs was awesome.

    • @logan_page
      @logan_page 2 года назад

      The only public Luge track in America is in Muskegon MI and it’s nearly impossible to go above 30 mph on it, even if you’re a world class athlete. I’d recommend giving it a try if you’re in the area, as at those speeds there really isn’t any danger. In fact the most common injury there is slipping on your way up the stairs 😂

  • @jevinday
    @jevinday 2 года назад +1

    great video! I had no idea about these issues. I always thought bobsledding looked like so much fun. I was a 90s kid so we all wanted to bobsled after we watched Cool Runnings haha

  • @KissTheGreat
    @KissTheGreat 2 года назад +12

    So like American football players then?

    • @luciakucerova1522
      @luciakucerova1522 2 года назад +2

      Watching this very much reminded me of the movie Concussions with Will Smith. The movie talks, just as here, about the long therm effect of concussions and it is SCARY to realise that there isn’t much talk about it just as this sport if it causes such serious issues mostly after the sport. You can definitely say both sport are a serious danger to your health. I hope we will see some changes in this the coming years

    • @mayuboeb
      @mayuboeb 2 года назад +1

      Yes, if they attached 10 vibrators to their helmets and get tackled

  • @neilvandeloo429
    @neilvandeloo429 2 года назад +1

    I mean, I get this is worth coverage, but is it really a mystery that slamming your head on ice at 100km/h isn't good for you?

  • @mellow-jello
    @mellow-jello 2 года назад +3

    A serious discussion behind sliding sports needs to be made in 2022, as the brain health of these young athletes have to be protected. It fairs poorly than even motorsports, or boxing, where the athlete contends with the sport itself, rather than knowingly endangered by the physics of the track itself.

  • @exzelzo
    @exzelzo 2 года назад +1

    And an F1 driver going through this torture in weekly basis. All of that G pulls and vibration inside the car going the speed of 300 km/h...

  • @srivatsanlakshminarayanan8808
    @srivatsanlakshminarayanan8808 2 года назад +3

    My head(brain) hurt after seeing this

  • @bracken8782
    @bracken8782 2 года назад +1

    As an enthusiast, roller coasters definitely do *not* average 5 Gs of force. 5 Gs of force... aren't exactly dangerous, since most Boomerang models exert that much force, but it's definitely not the average. a more accurate number would be around 4 Gs, which is a massive difference when you consider that this stands for a multiplication, not an addition.

  • @mrmaniac3
    @mrmaniac3 2 года назад +15

    Wait I thought it was obvious, you're sitting on a table going highway speeds around a marble circuit, you're trying to tell me it takes a trained eye to know that's dangerous?

    • @TywinLannister666
      @TywinLannister666 2 года назад +1

      GOTTA GO FAST M8

    • @DanielRodriguez-gm1ih
      @DanielRodriguez-gm1ih 2 года назад

      Right!? Like they don’t even put padding.

    • @DavidCowie2022
      @DavidCowie2022 2 года назад +2

      The dangers of crashing are obvious. What isn't obvious is that the sport is still dangerous even if you don't crash.

  • @Lamalas
    @Lamalas 2 года назад +1

    I will keep this in mind before going on a roller coaster with over the shoulder restraints.

  • @johnversosas8298
    @johnversosas8298 2 года назад +7

    Attention to Olympics committee to have this sporting event checked for athletes safety.

    • @Luaksz
      @Luaksz 2 года назад +2

      The athletes understand the risk and willingly partake in the event. The IOC also understands this

  • @RatnaKumar1416
    @RatnaKumar1416 2 года назад

    Really a great work buddy.. you are the guru of investigations

  • @bigjd2k
    @bigjd2k 2 года назад +5

    Could the ice be smoothed really well, to avoid most of the vibrations? Perhaps a machine with a heater which goes down the run and rapidly melts the surface then allows it to refreeze, evening out the highest peaks on the surface layer.

    • @EmyrDerfel
      @EmyrDerfel 2 года назад +16

      That would probably make the tracks even faster, increasing the frequency of any vibration.

  • @dr.nightmare9093
    @dr.nightmare9093 2 года назад +2

    This made me think. Could resting your head on the bus' window on your daily commute be harmful on the long run in a similar way to this?

    • @xen2125
      @xen2125 2 года назад +1

      I don’t think so, unless of course your bus is moving at the same speed as a sled.

    • @dr.nightmare9093
      @dr.nightmare9093 2 года назад

      @@xen2125 not cuz of speed but cuz of bumpy road/old bus/both

  • @luuk_twister2068
    @luuk_twister2068 2 года назад +10

    But when you are one of the people who is so passionate about the sport you also take some of the dangers for granted right? I mean, sure they need to know the risks, but in the end the athletes are the ones who decide to sled down a hill at 100+ km/h.

    • @philipalexander2762
      @philipalexander2762 2 года назад +7

      I basically agree, but the reality of CTE and similar conditions related to collisions in sport have only recently been given due attention.

    • @skaldlouiscyphre2453
      @skaldlouiscyphre2453 2 года назад

      @@philipalexander2762
      If we understood how much danger our ancestors accepted as part and parcel of life our heads would probably explode.

  • @merc340sr
    @merc340sr 7 месяцев назад +1

    Probably like the G-Forces and vibrations in a Formula 1 racing car.

  • @narkxis5691
    @narkxis5691 2 года назад +3

    Hey there random person from the future! (First of all, why are you wasting your time reading random comments on a defunct platform?)
    Would you believe me if I told you that in the year 2022 (yes, 15 centuries after the last gladiatorial combat at the Roman colosseum), there were still millions of people that actively incentivised a "sport" called Rugby by tuning in every week to watch thousands of young adults give eachother traumatic injuries for life? They even made it a national sport in some retrograde countries, changing its name to something nonsensical and promoting huge events that would rake in tons of capital for the big corporations at the expense of most of the athletes' salubrity!
    Hoomins were awefully silly back in the day, amarite? Hopefully we will have grown a common sense by the time you're reading this!
    Safe spacetravels, my friend. o/

  • @LovingCandyXOxo
    @LovingCandyXOxo 2 года назад +1

    Even if u don't win a medal just being there is an achievement. Enduring what each sports does to an athletes body, definitely something I can't go through.

  • @dentistrider3874
    @dentistrider3874 2 года назад +6

    They *completely* overlooked the 103 g's from a football players impact. I know it's not the subject of the video, but they put higher on the concussion range. I thought they might do a nod to it, since it's so incredibly high. I mean when your point is on how bad something is, it feels weird to be thrown a much worse figure that isn't addressed.

    • @EmyrDerfel
      @EmyrDerfel 2 года назад +11

      CTE in footballers is already known, and it's semi-obvious because of the impacts. In sliding sports, they're suffering even without crashes because of the combination of high-G corners and roughness.

    • @abathtub1411
      @abathtub1411 2 года назад

      yeah like Emyr said the impact of, well, impacts on football players is already pretty well known, studied, and talked about. The point of this video was to talk about a lesser known and different type of sport related brain injury, and for American audiences at least an aside to talk about football would be a somewhat redundant as those issues are already pretty well known. It sort of acted as a refrence point.

  • @mateuszsp8ebc691
    @mateuszsp8ebc691 2 года назад

    Hi. I'm a skeleton slider and really don't get a point of some comments that the sliding spot may (or shall) be banned because of this or that. What's the point? If somebody think that sliding is too risky for them and they're afraid of neurological symptoms... Huh.. Just don't do that. People do a lot of sport like paragliding, skiing, skydiving, diving or a lot of way more dangerous things. The problem of head injuries are known and federations (at least IBSF) are tracking these issues by quite strict fit-to-slide-after-crash regulation taken on IBSF recognized events and yearly medical examination in form of some memory, time of reaction testing and things like that. This video itself is a little bit polarized because of two reasons: Whistler track has a design flaw which makes it super fast. Way faster that the IBSF and FIL sporting code allows. The problem is that You cannot change this on production without severe civil engineering works. The second things is bobsleding itself. It is known for being the most dangerous sliding of all kind. The sled is very heavy and has big inertia. The partly siting position is not very comfortable and causes much stronger feeling of centrifugal force than skeleton or luge. Also Mr McCarthy are unaware of complexity of measuring such things like vibrations, centrifugal forces etc. It is not easy task from electronic stand point to accurately measure 'real world parameters' in such environment. An evidence for this is results like 84.5G which are impossible, even for very short period. What probably happens were ringing of measurement signal caused by the impulse/step response of either a sensor itself of signal processing chain, like some FIR/IIR filter or another component like that. I'm sliding for only 2 years and I heard a lot of fairy tales about how many centrifugal force athletes get during the run, but nobody published valuable scientific reports with proven measurement setup. Dumping vibrations will be impossible at least with skeleton sled. The way we're controlling the sled during the run is by using semi - weight shifting, semi pressing against certain parts of the sled. Dampers will attenuate everything both ways and sled will became uncontrollable. It also didn't solve a issue You get during the crash.

  • @jameshsu6364
    @jameshsu6364 2 года назад +4

    Which part of this is hidden?

    • @benjaminmcintosh857
      @benjaminmcintosh857 2 года назад +4

      The brain is hidden inside the skull

    • @gidonzd
      @gidonzd 2 года назад +1

      It's hidden because even those who never crashed suffer micro concussions without knowing it.
      And it damages their brains!!

  • @superzentai900
    @superzentai900 Год назад +1

    Those body tights does not protect the brain

  • @krishnachaitanya1220
    @krishnachaitanya1220 2 года назад +5

    It's not a sport for faint hearted ❤️

    • @ivgorm9365
      @ivgorm9365 2 года назад +7

      or the faint headed

  • @joshlewis5065
    @joshlewis5065 2 года назад +1

    Looking at these sleds run, I compare it to MotoGP. These people need to basically be in the same kind of suits. And there needs to be a ton of vibration dampening. The minimum sled weights need to be increased to force vibration dampening implementation

  • @fatherfreddie8512
    @fatherfreddie8512 2 года назад +5

    Can we all appreciate the fact that Vox never disappointed us with her content 🤚🤚🤚

  • @Visionery1
    @Visionery1 2 года назад

    This type of injury first became apparent in boxing, then soccer/rugby, now bobsledding - all subject the brain to trauma not usually experienced as a hunter/gatherer. Traumatic brain injuries cause irreversible, worsening damage with a sad final outcome. I'm starting to wonder how sports like bungee jumping affect the brain.

  • @kishorkafle
    @kishorkafle 2 года назад +9

    They need some sort of suspension on that thing.

  • @SanderAnderon
    @SanderAnderon 2 года назад

    seeing the Whistler track brings back bad memories of the Georgian luger who died there during 2010 Oly practice run, RIP

  • @alilo821
    @alilo821 2 года назад +4

    You guys needed a Vox video to tell you that gliding down a tube of ice faster than you’d drive on the highway is dangerous?

    • @kg7219
      @kg7219 2 года назад +5

      No but sometimes hearing from the people who do it / know about it is fun

    • @theoqe10
      @theoqe10 2 года назад +1

      The point of the video is that it's not just crashing that's dangerous. It's the constant skull vibrations from the g-force. I didn't know that.

    • @dhinchakmajnu2270
      @dhinchakmajnu2270 2 года назад

      Hii ali lo

  • @mr_guy661
    @mr_guy661 2 года назад

    I've never doubted how dangerous these events are

  • @thomasleemon
    @thomasleemon 2 года назад +6

    Ok, look. Vox, you're great. But, the dangers of sledding and luge are already clear to start with.

  • @nockreel1190
    @nockreel1190 2 года назад

    My first act of office will be to get rid of sledding in the Olympics 🤣

  • @matveyzhakovae1214
    @matveyzhakovae1214 2 года назад +17

    Well every sport is traumatic because sport is basically pushing human abilities to the limit. Particularly hockey is also traumatic, so is MMA and box, some of them are may be even more traumatic than sledding

    • @theouhrik1501
      @theouhrik1501 2 года назад +26

      You didn't even watch the video

    • @Eikenhorst
      @Eikenhorst 2 года назад +7

      @@theouhrik1501 He probably didn't. But I also get the idea of sport being sport and sport on a professional level is almost certainly unhealthy. Just that in most sports things are dangerous when it goes wrong, but here even on a perfect run your body is subjected to dangerous levels of vibrations and g-forces.

  • @SigmaRho2922
    @SigmaRho2922 2 года назад

    Nodar Kumaritashvili died in 2010 from a luge training crash at the Vancouver Olympics.

    • @owenneale5912
      @owenneale5912 2 года назад

      That was due to a tragic combination of track design, limited experience and the luge sled acting like a spring and hurling him out of the track on impact with the wall.

  • @elonmusk42
    @elonmusk42 2 года назад +15

    How about planting grass so they always touch grass

  • @Andi_ch
    @Andi_ch 2 года назад

    The thing is... Every attempt to make the sleds more dampened (i.e. a suspension) would make the sleds way too fast and almost every track would need major changes.
    Bobsleigh is such a violent sport, even without a crash.
    The (G-) forces are just crazy and don't even mention crashes...
    I had one season with with World-Cup races and it was just cool, pure madness... but I have to say: sled-head doesn't surprise me a bit.
    It's just so addictive...

  • @marknc9616
    @marknc9616 2 года назад +5

    It is sad for her injuries. As for the sleds, maybe they could add a suspension system. Maybe they could add a heating system in the sleds too. Next they could work on a sound dampening system.

    • @Mikewatters99
      @Mikewatters99 2 года назад +4

      Cup holders would be nice too while we're at it.

  • @rolandsrepetto9907
    @rolandsrepetto9907 2 года назад

    I went to Lenzerheide, in Switzerland, a few weeks age for a Night Sledding event, and my gosh, that was very dangerous. Many people fell off the cliff and hurt themselves. Even one woman was taken by medical chopper because she lost consciousness.

  • @azj_
    @azj_ 2 года назад +10

    A huge respect to athletes who sacrifice their life to get a win medal for their country.

    • @JJ-ti5lh
      @JJ-ti5lh 2 года назад +29

      That sounds even more ridiculous when said out loud.

    • @gidonzd
      @gidonzd 2 года назад +1

      They shouldn't have to sacrifice their health or their life.
      No Athlete should.
      They should find a way (suspension?) to reduce the risk of damaging their brains!

    • @luuk_twister2068
      @luuk_twister2068 2 года назад +1

      They do it for themselves as well you know