Latvian bobsledder Grantiņš recounts a frightening fall during a competition, attributing his survival to his well-developed neck muscles that helped prevent a severe injury.
In a recent interview, Latvian bobsledder Grantiņš shared the harrowing details of a fall he experienced while racing on an Olympic track. He explained that the mistake leading to his fall was minor, causing him to react too slowly during his first run. As he approached the tenth and eleventh turns, he felt a strong impact on the neck area of his helmet after his head had remained outside the bobsled during the race, resulting in a loss of sensation on the right side of his body.
Although he did not lose consciousness during the fall, Grantiņš described how his sled teammate, Dāvis Kaufmanis, exited the sled at the end of the track to prevent it from sliding backward and help Grantiņš out of the sled as best as he could. After approximately ten minutes, Grantiņš was able to regain sensation on the right side of his body, though it remained incomplete. Medical personnel on-site quickly wrapped his injury, put him in a neck brace, and transported him to a medical center for evaluation.
Upon arriving at the hospital in Cortina, a sonogram was conducted, confirming that Grantiņš's injury was serious, which related to a sixth cervical vertebra issue. This incident highlights the physical dangers athletes face in high-speed sports like bobsledding and raises awareness about the importance of neck strength in mitigating potential injuries during racing.
