Controversy Removes Another Luger From Winter Olympics Betting Odds

Sports News - February 16th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

Japan's Aya Yasuda became a victim of the Olympic's strict luging restrictions. She was disqualified from her first Winter Olympics on Tuesday because her bulging equipment topped the scales just a little too much.

She was notified that her extra weight exceeded the 13.1 kg limit by .2 because she accidentally miscalculated.

Yasuda is a 132-pound athlete, and there are no such restrictions on how much a luger can weigh (although athletes outside of ideal parameters usually don't perform well). The Olympic limits are extremely intricate, but make it so the amount of equipment allowed is relative to the weight of the luger. The calculated weight proportion allowed for her equipment was just a hair over 13 kg.

“During a weight check at the finish of run one the athlete’s additional weight exceeded the maximum allowed which was 13.1 kilos,” race organizers to Reuters. “Her actual (added) weight was 13.3 kilos.”

Yasuda was a darkhorse in the event, according to Olympic Betting Odds, but it's certainly not a memorable experience after expecting to compete in her first games.