Neck protector issue
In the new ISU Technical Rules & Regulations 2016 version, parts of rule 291 have been underlined and thereby indicate a change over the previous version of the rulebook (2014):
All Skaters must be equipped with:…g) Neck protection of cut-resistant nature, fully covering the neck;
In practice, this means that a Short Track Speed Skater should wear a neck protector which fully covers its neck and is of cut-resistant material. In past years we saw that this was not always the case and it is simply not safe for the skaters. At the moment there are two types of neck protection:
- built-in neck protector in the suit
- separate neck protector
Unlike the information spread at the Beneluxcup in Eindhoven on November 20th, 2016, the additional neck protector is only required when the built-in neck protector is insufficient. The rule of thumb is when the neck protector is not fully covering the neck, an additional neck protector is required which does so. It is the responsibility of the skaters to make sure their protection is sufficient. However, in the Heat Box, access to the ice may be refused for insufficient protection. We encourage coaches and trainers to observe whether their skaters need an additional neck protector or not and act on it.
Example risky situation : example of why I believe we should think about and develop extra neck/ face protection. This season, in the Netherlands we already had two junior skaters that had a cut in their face (jaw area) as result of contact with a blade of another skater. During the starclass in Dresden a boy of the STB team (NED) got a blade on his jaw, without a cut fortunately. Therefore not anymore a theoretical risk.
Example of potential extra neck / face protection (cut-resistant buff) -fixed at the back of the helmet (see picture) with Velcro.
Availability : Sebra Sports is interested to further develop the idea and I understood that Bioracer (Maarten Visser, TRL) already has a level 2 protection cut resistant buff on the market. Personally I find the cut-resistant level of the neck/ face area should be maximum which means level 5 protection.
Look forward to hear how you see this topic? Do you find it important? Should we further improve the protection level of neck and face? If yes, which idea’s do you have to increase the neck / face protection of our skaters.
Authors: Maarten Slembrouck and Marc Velzeboer
Comments ( 2 )
Hi
I read your post with great interest. It was forwarded to me by Susan Ellis, a canadian short-track coach in New Brunswick, Canada.
I am the father of a junior (11 years) skater. She fell during a competition and sustained a facial cut (no haemorrhage, no disability) when her opponent collided with her. The cut was clean, easy to stitch. The helmet has a notch in it.
Ever since my kids started speed skating, I have been worrying such an accident would happen, or worse. I would have thought some sort of Dyneema mesh hood or balaclava would exist (a bit like Spiderman’s mask!). Somewhat like what bearded food workers wear, except made of Dyneema. even the helmet straps could be upgraded to cut resistant, and perhaps widened.
The whole face is unprotected against mutilating injuries. The facial nerve could be severed, so could the ear, an eye, the brachial plexus, the superficial carotid, the internal carotid, the jugular veins, and the trachea, to name a few. The kids are wearing kitchen knifes at their feet and do not yet know how to fall properly to protect themselves, leave alone protect their fellow skaters.
I encourage you in your efforts to make the sport safer by developing high-acceptability protecting devices. And enforcing safety rules.
Patrice Aubin
Hi Patrice,
It is good to hear that the website already reached the other side of the seas. I myself had the unpleasant experience to get hit by a blade in my face during a competition in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). I also experienced a blade in my ankle and chest. Luckily in all occasions the consequences were not that bad. Apart from some weeks of inability in practice, it all turned out well.
As former athletes and now as coaches, we indeed want to warn, not scare, the skaters to use the proper safety measures and ,if possible, suggest any shortcomings to people who are able to manufacture better safety equipment.
Best regards
Maarten Slembrouck