On Friday, Alise Willoughby cruised into the semifinals, but wrecked in the first of three heats to finish last. She was third in the second heat, and close to the lead in the third, thinking she was on her way to advancing to the gold medal run. But that is where her wheel clipped that of Australia’s Saya Sakakibara, in the lead along the third straightaway. So it’s a calculated risk.”But accidents happen without warning, and Friday was a reminder that the Olympics are filled with risks. More than the summer version, they are filled with high-speed, high-flying, high-danger events, from downhill skiing to bobsledding to snowboarding.

Source: New York Times July 30, 2021 10:18 UTC