Bobsleigh crash raises further fears about competitor safety at Whistler

The track at the Whistler Sliding ­Centre has again become the focus of safety ­concerns. Five days after the death of the Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, there were a series of crashes involving at least seven teams during bobsleigh ­training. In the worst incident, Duncan Harvey of Australia's two-man team had to be taken to hospital after hurtling on to the track. He was, thankfully, conscious after the fall and is now recovering well. His ­team-mate, Chris Spring, the bob's driver, suffered a cut lip. The Dutch two-man team also crashed. Brothers Edwin and Arnold van Calker did, though, escape unharmed after their bobsleigh ended up on its side on one of the lower bends. In response to Kumaritashvili's crash Olympic officials have raised the protective wall near curve 16 as well as adjusting the ice profile of the luge track. The starting point of the men's singles was also moved to the lower starting station, which is used by the women and the men's doubles. Elsewhere, the British short-track speed skaters Sarah Lindsay and Elise Christie were left feeling frustrated after bowing out of their women's 500 metres quarter-finals in controversial fashion at the Pacific Coliseum. Lindsay twice tangled with Canadian Jessica Gregg in her heat to hit the front of the field and, on the second occasion, the judges ruled Lindsay was at fault and the 29-year-old was disqualified for interference. "I didn't even get a chance to race," she said. "As the rules are, nobody has the right of way until you get on to the track. I was already at a ­disadvantage being on the outside. We both crashed but she fell. It's not my fault she's clumsier than I am." Asked how she would refocus, Lindsay replied: "By drop kicking my helmet." China's defending champion Meng Wang won the heat ahead of Gregg. Christie was also unhappy with the manner of her exit in the final quarter-final. She had been well placed in second behind Canada's Marianne ­St-Gelais only for a clash of skates one lap from home with Lee ­Eun-Byul to check her momentum. The Korean overtook her and claimed second place to go through at the 19-year-old's expense. "I did a good race, I just had a slip with her on my inside," Christie said. "I think the Korean should have been disqualified. She hit me and I lost speed." Meanwhile, Britain's 5,000m relay quartet of Anthony Douglas, Jon Eley, Tom ­Iveson and Jack Whelbourne finished last in the their semi-final behind China, Canada and Germany. Eley and Iveson had earlier competed in 1,000m heats and missed out on a quarter-finals berth, ­finishing third and fourth respectively. The British men's curling team – David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Pete Smith and Euan Byers – got back on track after their opening match defeat against Sweden by beating France 9-4. Victory was sealed on end nine when Murdoch executed a double take-out to lie two, forcing the France skip Thomas Dufour to attempt a draw which came up short and the French conceded. "That was a great performance by us," said Murdoch. "We wanted to get a win on the board as soon as possible.