Ewan
01-05-2009, 08:27 AM
Sportsmen killed pursuing their passion
http://estb.msn.com/i/D3/D7D06F4419536B80E5CB1C3EBAF48.jpg
On May 1 1994, Formula One icon Ayrton Senna died after crashing during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Brazilian race ace Senna’s Williams FW16 car was travelling at 192mph when it ran wide at the Tamburello curve and crashed into a concrete wall. He was just 34 years old.
Senna was a three-time world drivers champion and had won a total of 41 grands prix during his Formula One career. His daring and aggressive driving style earned him acclaim from fans all over the world.
Senna’s body was flown home to Brazil four days after the crash. He was given a state funeral in Sao Paolo which was attended by more than half a million mourners.
What is often forgotten about the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is that the race meeting claimed the life of another driver, the lesser-known Austrian racer Roland Ratzenberger, who crashed at the Tamburello curve in race qualifying.
The deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger were a watershed moment in Formula One. Over subsequent years, driver safety was rightly made the sport’s top priority with improvements made to both the cars and the courses.
Senna and Ratzenberger aren’t the only sportsmen who died pursuing their passion. MSN News pays tribute to eight sportsmen whose lives were cut short competing in the sports they loved (http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=16444752&imageindex=1).
http://estb.msn.com/i/D3/D7D06F4419536B80E5CB1C3EBAF48.jpg
On May 1 1994, Formula One icon Ayrton Senna died after crashing during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Brazilian race ace Senna’s Williams FW16 car was travelling at 192mph when it ran wide at the Tamburello curve and crashed into a concrete wall. He was just 34 years old.
Senna was a three-time world drivers champion and had won a total of 41 grands prix during his Formula One career. His daring and aggressive driving style earned him acclaim from fans all over the world.
Senna’s body was flown home to Brazil four days after the crash. He was given a state funeral in Sao Paolo which was attended by more than half a million mourners.
What is often forgotten about the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is that the race meeting claimed the life of another driver, the lesser-known Austrian racer Roland Ratzenberger, who crashed at the Tamburello curve in race qualifying.
The deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger were a watershed moment in Formula One. Over subsequent years, driver safety was rightly made the sport’s top priority with improvements made to both the cars and the courses.
Senna and Ratzenberger aren’t the only sportsmen who died pursuing their passion. MSN News pays tribute to eight sportsmen whose lives were cut short competing in the sports they loved (http://news.uk.msn.com/in-pictures/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=16444752&imageindex=1).