A Toboganner Lost His Leg During Championship in Russia

Tobogganner from Moscow Ivan Goncharov who participated in the competitions in Krasnoyarsk (eastern Siberia) received a serious trauma, and physicians had to amputate his leg, the regional sports committee reported on Thursday.

The tragedy took place shortly before the Russian toboggan championship, during a training round. A total of 40 sportsmen are taking part in this championship.

President of the Russian toboggan federation Valery Simakov and other specialists point out that this is one of the most dangerous kinds of sports. Russia has only three good toboggan runs now. And none of them has artificial ice formation. That is why the Russian toboganners who returned from the competitions or from training sessions abroad, find themselves in different conditions, which fact could be a cause for what has happened.

The overfall of heights on the toboggan run in Krasnoyarsk is 140 metres. That is why when descending from big heights the toboggan reaches a high speed. It is supposed that the Moscow crew, when moving through a dangerous part of the run, did not hold the toboggan on it and was thrown out beyond its limits. When he fell to the ground Ivan Goncharov lost consciousness, and a serious leg fracture was found in the hospital.