Despite the Olympics being chock full of wipeouts, hurt players, and other unfortunate events, there are some things that crop up by surprise and make everybody watching wince.
In the 21st century, that's when you see someone's extremely expensive electronic device tumbling down a snow-covered hill during an Olympic event.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooopic.twitter.com/MjaFbauD1r— NBC Olympics (@NBC Olympics) 1643892321
How painful to watch. A good Samaritan risked their equipment and body. They still exist. Hopefully the equipment wasn't destroyed. It looked like a filter was all that popped off. Fingers Crossed!— Thomas Feller (@Thomas Feller) 1643946633
This made me shutter.— Decent Trial Lawyer (@Decent Trial Lawyer) 1643902774
Wow, sports photographers will tell you that is a VERY Expensive camera body and lens. I do hope it was not damaged, yikes. But we shall see, good luck— L. Cruz/outdoors is fun (@L. Cruz/outdoors is fun) 1643895068
The camera in the video, a Sony model, was identified by PetaPixel as being worth up to $8700. As it could clearly be seen shedding parts of its hardware as it crashed down the hill, it is doubtful that it retained that price point after the accident.
Photography buffs everywhere had the hair on their neck standing on end.
pic.twitter.com/TKejMLg6pA— B&H Photo Video (@B&H Photo Video) 1643900554
And the winner for most flips in a ski run?pic.twitter.com/gwEqyzMTpg— Sony | Alpha (@Sony | Alpha) 1643922040
this is what Hell looks likehttps://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1489218449188573193\u00a0\u2026— Annie Rice (@Annie Rice) 1643907455
There were bits flying off at the beginning of the video, I was cringing so hard.— Shadow Trick (@Shadow Trick) 1643899168
Sony comes prepared for just such events, however, as hardware damage during active winter sports is unavoidable at times. A Sony Photo Service Center has been set up at the Beijing games for photographers to borrow if something happens to their camera.
Technicians are also available for minor repairs--if that camera did, indeed, suffer "minor" injuries.
If that thing still works, it needs to be put in an ad ASAP by Sony.\n\n"The Sony Alpha 1. TAKES A LICKING AND KEEPS ON TICKING."— Chris Bryant \ud83c\udfa5 #MaskUp (@Chris Bryant \ud83c\udfa5 #MaskUp) 1643907010
My soul just diedhttps://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1489218449188573193\u00a0\u2026— Offshore Oddities (@Offshore Oddities) 1643990501
photographers everywhere seeing their worst nightmarehttps://twitter.com/nbcolympics/status/1489218449188573193\u00a0\u2026— Elle Cayabyab Gitlin (@Elle Cayabyab Gitlin) 1643988392
Anxiety https://twitter.com/nbcolympics/status/1489218449188573193\u00a0\u2026— Jacqueline Nie (@Jacqueline Nie) 1643988285
The Winter Olympics will run through Sunday, February 20th.
