Topic: Ouch!! hardcopy

[Dave Chiu]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1044258/Pictured-The-horrific-moment-Olympic-weightlifter-turns-elbow-front.html

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Dave,

Why would you want to promote these images? Personally, I was upset at NBC for showing so many replays of it. With the pathetically little coverage of our sport on TV, I don't think we really want to emphasize this pretty rare injury. Also consider all the press attention to the injury, and so far I have seen only one article that followed up by saying that he did not break the bone and did not even tear the tendons and ligaments. In reality, the guy is fine and could be back lifting in no time.

[Paul LaDuke]

It is human nature to want to watch the train wreck.  The NFL has see its share of horrific injuries that get replayed over and over on ESPN and Youtube.  This injury is no exception and the enormous amount of press coverage gives it more exposure all over the world.

Here are 2 resources to help with your points Chris:
Injury Incidence and Prevalence among Elite Weight and Power Lifters
NCAA Injury Rates

A comparison of the 2 studies will show that the sport of Weightlifting has a dramatically lower injury rate than other sports!  It isn't even close.  Weightlifting had an injury rate of .43 injuries per 1,000 hours of exposure.  Women's softball (NCAA's lowest re of atsport injury incident) had an injury rate of 4.3 injuries per 1,000 games played.  The NATA has more information on the subject for those of you interested in more data.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Thanks Paul. I understand why people would watch the video or look at the pics. I just don't quite see why a weightlifter would want to spread it around as it only spreads already commonly held misconceptions about our sport. The slow-motion replays probably undid a lot of the work I did in the commentary telling people how safe our sport is. The other sport commentators certainly didn't believe me after seeing it. Thanks for the links but it will be hard to get them in as I have to type everything as copy and paste doesn't work.

[Alex Carter]

I think it was a bad thing that happend to him but I think it gives people a false image of weightlifting, not that they don't already have one, big juiced fat guys lifting weights, its not even that hard really you just have to be fat right? 

[Dave Chiu]

Great to see the numbers... SB 10x more dangerous than lifting, and FB almost 10x worse than that.

Although I say it's more damaging to our sport to see things like Mr. Chalky in the 85 B's,

... and the astounding stupidity of the tape-happy officials!!

Why don't they just use a paint gun to cover anything that might be construed as "too much" advertizing??

Here's the solution to both problems -- just have all lifters wear the same solid white suit w/ a small 3"x5" nat'l emblem on the chest.

Seriously though, it is a rough thing for the lifter, but actually a good way to educate all those who will have that image clearly in mind when they state their prejudices, rather than a quietly held amorphous fear.

I also like it as a reminder of how greatly we dare (at least symbolically).

I'd like to see this on a T-shirt:

My opponent outweighs me by 100 lbs,

doesn't feel pity, pain or fear,

can't be fooled or bargained with,

is fully ready to render me unconscious,

without any conscience or guilt.

Then on the back:

I will pry my opponent loose from the ground,

applying my utmost strength and skill,

thrust him quivering overhead to victory,

and thump him bouncing back to earth.

You are right to wonder about my humanity Chris, if I weren't so touched by courage and beauty, I'd doubt my DNA as well.

As for the images, they've had 10x as many hits today (in slideshow form on youtube) as the vid w/ british commentators did before it was pulled yesterday.

No excuse for me, but interesting given all the gruesome skater vids there are out there.

[Andy Dick]

Wait I'm confused...

Great to see the numbers... SB 10x more dangerous than lifting, and FB almost 10x worse than that.

Although I say it's more damaging to our sport to see things like Mr. Chalky in the 85 B's,

... and the astounding stupidity of the tape-happy officials!!

In my opinion, I havent seen the 85 B's, but I think a serious looking injury is worse because fear is a very powerful motivator to turn people away from the sport and to sling more dirt at the sport.  Now everyone will be talking about steriods and how unsafe the sport is.  We are trying to get more people interested in the sport in the US, in my opinion also it is counter productive to have our fellow weightlifters shooting us in the back with images that portray our sport more negatively.  We already have aspects sheding a negative light on the sport (some true, some misconceptions) more negativity on the sport isn't really helpful.

Obviously you can do what you want, my only question is, is it worth spreading all the bad press around about our sport for no reason other but to show everyone what happened? (this is just a rhetorical question, I don't want an answer)

[Dave Chiu]

-- NOT A RESPONSE --

Check out the clown prince of our sport in the 85-B session, from 1:16 thru 1:24.

Is it the Marxist-doofus get-up of his coach, the exclamations, the skin show, the perturbed official??

What's most chucklesome about this guy's remarkable performance?

I think the 69's Debaya is also originally from Cameroon.

THERE'S AGONY AND ECSTASY, HUMOR AND HEROISM IN THIS GRAND SPORT OF OURS!!