Wayne Rainey paralyzed!
H. Marc Lewis
race in Misano, Italy.
Rainey was leading the race, closely followed by his teammate Luca Cadalora
and Kevin Schwantz. The accident happened about 5 laps (my guess) into the
race, coming out of the last corner before the starting straight (I think
it was this corner, I was on a different corner and didn't actually see the
accident). Rainey was accelerating out of the corner, lost the rear wheel,
and low-sided and slid off the racetrack. I heard speculation that he slid
over a curb at the edge of the track (hard to believe there's a curb there)
and that it was it that injured his back.
He was taken to the hospital at Cesere, and they were considering moving
him from there to a different hospital in either the UK or the USA. No
word on the permanence of the injury, except a note in the Italian sports
daily LA GAZETTA DELLA SPORT that "injuries of this type are hard to recover
from".
--
H. Marc Lewis | "There are two kinds of people in the world --
Olivetti North America | those who divide everything in the world into
ma...@mail.spk.olivetti.com | two kinds of things and those who don't"
Jeffrey Friedl
|> Tragic news. Wayne Rainey was severly injured in the September 5th 500cc GP
|> race in Misano, Italy.
|>
|> Rainey was leading the race, closely followed by his teammate Luca Cadalora
|> and Kevin Schwantz. The accident happened about 5 laps (my guess) into the
|> race, coming out of the last corner before the starting straight (I think
|> it was this corner, I was on a different corner and didn't actually see the
|> accident). Rainey was accelerating out of the corner, lost the rear wheel,
|> and low-sided and slid off the racetrack. I heard speculation that he slid
|> over a curb at the edge of the track (hard to believe there's a curb there)
|> and that it was it that injured his back.
Wow, I saw this..... turned on the TV last night around midnight, and was
surprised to find racing on (I was planning on watching the SuperBike GP
that was to be shown at 1AM).
I had no clue what the race was (I'm not into racing enough to know the
schedule nor to recognize the track), nor did I know it was being carried
live (although I could tell that the Japanese announcers had no control over
the video they were play-by-playing), but it definately was this race,
as the announcers about had a baby when they saw Rainey crash. Apparently,
Japanese TV was carrying it live.
They didn't show the crash, but did show the on-bike video from during
the crash. Looked like a "regular" low-slide except that after some time
sliding on its side, the bike flipped. The video broke up during the flip,
but one could easily see the world start to spin before the video was
gone.
Would a bike sliding and catching just dirt flip like that, or does the flip
indicate something like the curb or whatnot? I'll have to go check out the
video again, and check if it's bilingual to see if any further information
was given.
Damn, but by the time the race finished, the 1AM show had come on and that
race had just started, so I immediately switched, so didn't tape any further
news (I didn't know the Rainey thing was so major at the time).
Anyway, here's parts of the UPI report (via ClariNet) about it:
|> Misano, Italy (UPI) -- Reigning world champion Wayne Rainey of the
|> United States was paralysized after suffering back injuries Sunday when
|> he lost control of his Yamaha and spun off the track on the 10th lap of
|> the Italian 500cc Motor Cycle Grand Prix, doctors said.
|> Eraldo Berardi, head of the medical team at the Misano circuit, said
|> Rainey suffered a crushed sixth spinal vertebrae and was paralyzed in
|> his lower body.
|> Berardi said doctors would not be able to say for at least 24 hours
|> whether the paralysis was reversible. He said he expected Rainey to be
|> transferred for treatment in Britain or the United States from the
|> hospital in Cesena, northeast Italy, where he has been undergoing tests.
*jeff*
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeffrey E.F. Friedl Omron Corporation, Nagaokakyo (Kyoto), Japan
jfr...@omron.co.jp, jfr...@cs.cmu.edu [ DoD##4 N8XBK CBR250R ]
Visiting researcher to the Mach Project, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh
Teppo Nieminen
that Rainey's injuries are irreversible and that he will spend the
rest of his life in a wheelchair, paralyzed from chest downwards.
It is difficult to say exactly what happened until further info from
the team or Rainey himself is in, because the TV cameraman was caught
unaware and didn't get his camera turned before Rainey was already down.
The only tape from the accident is from on-board camera. I saw the
race yesterday as a recording from Eurosport, and it looked more like a
high-side to me. The tape shows that the rear tire breaks loose, and
when it hooks up, the front is thrown way over towards the outside of
the track, and consequently loses its grip.
Teppo Nieminen
Jeffrey Friedl
|> It is difficult to say exactly what happened until further info from
|> the team or Rainey himself is in, because the TV cameraman was caught
|> unaware and didn't get his camera turned before Rainey was already down.
Looking at the tape again last night, it was really a weird feeling to
see him try to get up immediately after the crash, as if he had a weight
pressing his chest to the ground.
|> The only tape from the accident is from on-board camera. I saw the
|> race yesterday as a recording from Eurosport, and it looked more like a
|> high-side to me. The tape shows that the rear tire breaks loose, and
|> when it hooks up, the front is thrown way over towards the outside of
|> the track, and consequently loses its grip.
But the transition from facing more-or-less toward the center of the
track (while rear wheel loses grip) to toward the outside of the track
doesn't seem to be a flip, but a rotation around a vertical axis
(as if the rear of the bike dragged a bit more momentairly allowing the
front to slide around).
The outside of the curve in which it happened had the alternating bands
of red and white, and the far edge of it (where the bands stopped at
the end of the curve) looked to have a raised lip. I wonder if that was it.
Turns out that the other race I recorded that evening was the a superbike
GP from Aug 29th, where Rainey won.
Steve Garnier
>I read from the paper this morning that Kenny Roberts has confirmed
>that Rainey's injuries are irreversible and that he will spend the
>rest of his life in a wheelchair, paralyzed from chest downwards.
Damn it all. This truly sucks.
Steve Garnier - DoD #00000005 - '79 XS1100SF w/ 161K+ miles and *climbing*
KotF (Flame), KotAM (Anecdotal Motorcycle), The Daemon's Byte
KotPTHPTH!!! (Proton-lasing, THermonuclear ignited, gamma-emitting,
[KvybphO] Plutonium-fueled Torch from Hell!!!) [Zvat gur Zrepvyrff]
Ryan Cousineau
JF>k21...@kyyppari.hkkk.fi (Teppo Nieminen) writes:
JF>|> It is difficult to say exactly what happened until further info from
JF>|> the team or Rainey himself is in, because the TV cameraman was caught
JF>|> unaware and didn't get his camera turned before Rainey was already down.
I missed this whole thread!! What happened to Rainey? Was it at Laguna
Seca?
Ryan Cousinetc.,
cou...@compdyn.wimsey.bc.ca
* SLMR 2.1a * Have bike, will travel. Quickly. Very quickly.
----
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Lou Montgomery (214+464-1049)
>
>In any case, my heart goes out to Wayne and his family. If I
>can find an address to which cards can be sent, I'll post it.
Please do. I'd like to get a card signed by
by several of my friends (his admirers) and
send it to him.
I REALLY hated this bit of news. The way this
fearless dude charges into a turn at God only
knows what speed and brakes in perfect harmony
with surface, machine and laws of the physical
world, then executes the epitome of counter-
steering perfection has provided me with many
head rushes. I'm sure gonna miss 'im. 8-(
Think I'll have a freezin' bottle of American
Corporate Swill for him tonight. Wish he could
join me for it.
Later All....
...Lou
Paul Andrew Forrest
> I read from the paper this morning that Kenny Roberts has confirmed
> that Rainey's injuries are irreversible and that he will spend the
> rest of his life in a wheelchair, paralyzed from chest downwards.
I've heard conflicting reports concerning Rainey's injury. The
latest from Reuters quotes doctors as saying it will be months
before it will be known whether Rainey will ever walk again.
Let's hope that there's at least a possibility his condition is
reversible.
For certain, they don't come any tougher or more determined
than Wayne Rainey. If anyone can be the odds, he can.
In any case, my heart goes out to Wayne and his family. If I
can find an address to which cards can be sent, I'll post it.
Roserunner
>Tragic news. Wayne Rainey was severly injured in the September 5th 500cc GP
>race in Misano, Italy.
>
>and low-sided and slid off the racetrack. I heard speculation that he slid
>over a curb at the edge of the track (hard to believe there's a curb there)
>and that it was it that injured his back.
A source which claimed to have a line to the Roberts compound near
Modesto had different details. The source said Rainey highsided, was
sliding along on his face in the gravel and had his bike flip up and
then land on his back.
Either way it's a tragedy.
----
No team manager will tell you this; but they all want to see you
come walking back into the pits sometimes, carrying the steering wheel.
- Mario Andretti
rose...@noller.com -- lotsa names, lotsa numbers, lotsa kids, lotsa bikes
Jody Levine
>In article <CD03I...@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
>pa...@curry.edschool.Virginia.EDU (Paul Andrew Forrest) writes:
>>
>>In any case, my heart goes out to Wayne and his family. If I
>>can find an address to which cards can be sent, I'll post it.
>
> 'signed' using the FAQ list of members.
Is somebody preparing a package? We could send some printouts of gifs and
some greetings.
I've bike like | Jody Levine DoD #275 kV
got a you can if you -PF | Jody.P...@hydro.on.ca
ride it | Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jeffrey Friedl
|> The source said Rainey highsided...
Could someone that has a copy of the on-bike video please go over it
and explain to me how a highside squares with the video? I went over
and over it last night and just can't figure it. The problem could be
that I don't know the difference between a highside and lowside....
(I think I do, but apparently not).
The bike lays down while leaned deeply and never gets off that side.
For maybe three or four frames of video it come up *slightly* (not even
as far up as the original lean)... could that have been enough to launch
him?
And as for the helmet thing and who removed it: when the camera gets on
Rainey he shrugs his shoulders trying to get up, then goes for his helmet,
looking like he's trying to open the visor.
Then someone arrives and *immediately* goes for the chin strap. A moment
later, Rainey sort of flails his hands up the guy's arm then down toward
his legs. At this the guy turns his head from noticing another grabbing
parts of the bike towards Rainey's legs, looks to brush something off
his leg (more likely just a "hold on a sec." motion), then continues with
the strap. At this Rainey puts his head down and appears to hold onto
(try to open?) his visor. They stay like that for a while (five seconds?)
then just as this clip ends (when they're doing the video swipe to the
on-board video) the guy removes his hands from the strap area and Rainey
puts his there as if he's going to remove the helmet. That's where it ends.
When they return to the track-side a few seconds later (assuming that
it's live, it really was a few seconds later), Rainey is actively talking
and moving his head back and forth (as if answering an emphatic "no" to
something).
Unlike another poster, I don't think Rainey was trying to slap the guy's
hands away... more like getting his attention and saying "what the fuck
is pinning my legs down" (knowing full well there was nothing).
Axel Fischer
>|> The source said Rainey highsided...
>Could someone that has a copy of the on-bike video please go over it
>and explain to me how a highside squares with the video? I went over
>and over it last night and just can't figure it. The problem could be
>that I don't know the difference between a highside and lowside....
>(I think I do, but apparently not).
You're right.
a) It was a lowsider
b) the bike never hit Rainey and also didn"t landed on his back and some
stated here.
>Unlike another poster, I don't think Rainey was trying to slap the guy's
>hands away... more like getting his attention and saying "what the fuck
>is pinning my legs down" (knowing full well there was nothing).
Yes, I have seen it the same way. Rainey has removed his helmet himself.
-Axel
--
fis...@netmbx.de DoD #0228
Daniel Patrick Sinnott
>|> The source said Rainey highsided...
>Could someone that has a copy of the on-bike video please go over it
>and explain to me how a highside squares with the video? I went over
>and over it last night and just can't figure it. The problem could be
>that I don't know the difference between a highside and lowside....
>(I think I do, but apparently not).
This is simple...... in a lowside, you simply fall off on the side of the bike
closest to the road.
>The bike lays down while leaned deeply and never gets off that side.
>For maybe three or four frames of video it come up *slightly* (not even
>as far up as the original lean)... could that have been enough to launch
>him?
At speeds of over 220 kph (bang in a fudge factor for mph) this is more than
sufficient to flick a rider off.
[SNIP]
>And as for the helmet thing and who removed it: when the camera gets on
>Rainey he shrugs his shoulders trying to get up, then goes for his helmet,
>looking like he's trying to open the visor.
I received a few mail replies after my original posting in which I said that theTrack marshall should be subject to no blame for removing Wayne's helmet.
Immediatly after the crash I beleive that Wayne is trying to remove the helmet
himself as most riders do. The gesticulation to the track marshall seems to be
not to fend him off and stop him removing the helmet, but more of a panic
when he realises he can't move his legs.
Dan..