Global Courant 2023-04-26 05:15:00
An athlete who suffered a long list of life-changing injuries after a “catastrophic” crash on the Olympic luge track in Whistler, BC, more than three years ago, has filed a lawsuit claiming the crash was the culmination of years of harassment. bullying and hazing by a coach who put his own goals above a teenager’s safety.
Garrett Reid, now 19, has claimed that coach Matthew McMurray insulted him while racing for the NextGen national team in 2018 and 2019.
The lawsuit filed in the B.C. Supreme Court alleged that the abuse ultimately led Reid to crash on the fastest section of the track at the Whistler Sliding Center — on a modified sled in a helmet that should have been replaced — during a training ride on Nov 16, 2019 .
Garrett was constantly bullied, assaulted and harassed for years by his coach, Matthew McMurray. We were told by Luge Canada to ‘keep it in the luge family’ and that McMurray would be under surveillance and dealt with. They did nothing,” the family said in a statement Tuesday.
“We’re taking this action now because we want accountability, we want to expose Luge Canada’s abuses and failures to protect future athletes, and we want compensation for Garrett.”
Garrett Reid is pictured in an undated photograph. (Submitted by Reid family)
None of Reid’s allegations have been proven. McMurray did not file a response or respond to CBC’s request for comment.
Luge Canada, accused in the lawsuit of covering up abuses, has not responded in court but has sent a brief statement.
“The health and safety of all our athletes is Luge Canada’s number one priority. Garrett suffered an unfortunate accident in 2019, which has deeply affected all of us in the luge community,” read an email.
“Now that the matter is in court, we will reserve any further comments regarding the accident and the case to ensure that we can allow due legal process to take place.”
Replacement helmet reportedly refused after 2019 crash
Reid grew up in Whistler and started sledding when he was seven years old. According to the claim, he made the NextGen team at age 15 and joined the ranks of the nation’s “next generation of elite luge athletes” among coaches, including McMurray.
Luge is widely known as the fastest sport at the Winter Olympics. Athletes ride a flat sled through a course on their backs, feet first, at speeds of up to 140 km/h.
Garrett Reid slides down a toboggan in an undated photo. (Submitted by Garrett Reid)
In early 2019, Reid crashed during the run-up to the Junior World Luge Championship in Austria. The lawsuit said he requested medical attention because his sled flipped up and hit the right side of his head, but McMurray refused, telling Reid to “stop asking.”
Medical imaging later revealed that Reid had broken his face multiple times, according to the lawsuit. The claim said his racing suffered afterwards, making the alleged abuse worse.
“McMurray increased his verbal and psychological abuse,” the claim filed in the BC Supreme Court read.
“Garrett was bullied, humiliated, hazed, threatened and intimidated by McMurray on a daily basis.”
According to the lawsuit, Reid continued to wear his damaged helmet after the crash in Austria because both McMurray and Luge Canada refused his and his family’s repeated requests for a new one.
Sandpaper put on sled prior to Whistler crash: lawsuit
In November, Reid was training at the Whistler Sliding Center when McMurray reportedly told Reid to add strips of sandpaper to his sled one at a time, even though he had never done it before. Using sandpaper is a training technique to record faster running times by reducing a racer’s control over his sled, the lawsuit alleges.
On the day of the crash, Reid claimed that McMurray had added sandpaper to his sled and placed it in the men’s starting position—the highest spot on the track—despite the usual training protocol for racers to start lower on the track and get a to make way up.
The teenager lost control in turn 16, also known as “Thunderbird Corner”, towards the end of the run. According to the claim, he hit his head on the same point on his helmet as in the crash in Austria earlier this year.
Garrett Reid seen here after a “catastrophic” crash at the Whistler Sliding Center in Whistler, BC, in November 2019. (Submitted by Reid family)
Reid, then 16, was left with a long list of injuries, including a traumatic brain injury.
“McMurray’s behavior leading up to the injury was an abuse of power and exploitation of the trust and psychological intimacy inherent in the relationship between a coach and a young athlete, particularly one focused on succeeding in a highly competitive sport,” according to the claim filed. last week.
“McMurray’s selfish, arbitrary and callous behavior warrants sentencing in court.”
The lawsuit seeks damages from McMurray for allegedly denying medical care to Reid after Austria, adding sandpaper to his sled in Whistler, and a general pattern of abuse and assault.
Luge Canada is being charged as McMurray’s employer and for allegedly “silencing complainants, witnesses and/or whistleblowers” who attempted to speak out against assault.
The lawsuit also alleges that Luge Canada buried documents showing “credible complaints” against McMurray because the leadership prioritized avoiding “scandal” over protecting its NextGen athletes.
