Slate Magazine
mobile.slate.com • Feb 17, 2010The 2010 Winter Olympics began Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia. Naturally, the Explainer has questions. After the death of Georgian luge racer Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice run, Olympic officials moved the men's starting point lower down the track—to where the women usually start. Why do women start lower than men? It's a strength issue. Luge requires significant upper body force to push off and to maneuver the sled at high speeds. (Speeds on this particular track reached 95 miles per hour in practice runs.) Based on the assumption that… Full Story »
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