March 29, 2024, 04:07:37 AM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: NEW CHILD BOARD CREATED IN THE POLITICAL SECTION FOR THE 2016 ELECTION
 
   Home   Help Login Register  
Pages: 1   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: Olympic Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili Dies After Crash During Training Run  (Read 3166 times)
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« on: February 12, 2010, 09:29:51 PM »

(Hat Tip-Klaasend)
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2010/02/12/olympic-luger-seriously-injured-training/
Olympic Luger Dies After Crash During Training Run
February 12, 2010



WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) -- It took only three seconds.

Sliding faster than ever in his life, 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili had one turn left in his final Olympic training run. Flirting with 90 mph on a $100 million track pushing speed to the outer limits, the luger from the republic of Georgia tilted his head slightly forward as his sled climbed the high-banked wall.

His last move.

Kumaritashvili lost control, crashing into the wall entering the final straightaway. His body went airborne, arms and legs flailing over the opposite side of the track, his upper body smashing into an unpadded steel pole as his sled continued skidding down the track. It all took just 48.9 seconds, start to crash.

Paramedics began working on Kumaritashvili within seconds, quickly starting chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, all to no avail.

The IOC said Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead at a trauma center in Whistler.

Less than an hour after the accident, a representative from each team was told the grim news.

With that, tears began flowing across the close-knit sliding world and throughout the Olympic family.

"I have no words," a teary International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said, "to say what we feel."

Within an hour of the accident, an investigation was opened. Security officials closed access to the crash area and the remainder of the track for the rest of the day, and all further training runs scheduled for Friday were canceled.

Women's luge Olympians are scheduled to train at the track Saturday morning, nine hours before the men's two-day competition is set to begin.

"It is a nervous situation," Latvian luge federation president Atis Strenga said. "It's a big tragedy for all (of) luge. I hope, we all hope, it's the first accident and the last accident in this race."

The danger of the Whistler track has been talked about for months -- particularly after several countries, including the U.S., were upset with restrictions over access to the facility by nations other than Canada, some noting it could lead to a safety issue. Some sliders, especially those from small luge federations, saw the world's fastest track this week for the first time.

"When you are going that fast it just takes one slip and you can have that big mistake," U.S. doubles luger Christian Niccum said Thursday, when asked about track safety. "All of us are very calm going down, but it you start jerking at 90 mph or making quick reactions, that sled will steer. That's the difference between luge and bobsled and skeleton, we're riding on a very sharp edge and that sled will go exactly where we tell it to so you better be telling it the right things on the way down."

There was speculation that having the men's sliders start from the women's ramp -- which would shorten the course and possibly keep speed a bit more in check -- was among the options being considered.

Officials in Vancouver and Whistler both stressed that no decisions regarding what happens next would be made before the initial investigation is complete.

Rogge said he was in contact with both Kumaritashvili's family and officials from the Georgian government. The remaining seven members of the Georgian Olympic delegation said they would stay in the games and dedicated their performances to their fallen teammate.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the Georgian Olympic team," U.S. bobsled pilot Steven Holcomb said on Twitter. "The sliding community suffered a tragic and devastating loss to our family today."

Under giant Olympic rings near the medals plaza in downtown Whistler, mourners placed candles and flowers around a photograph of Kumaritashvili, on his sled and barreling down the track. Around the photo, an inscription read: "In Memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili, May he rest in peace."

There was a moment of silence in memory of the luger at the start of the Alpine skiing team captains' meeting.

Kumaritashvili is the fourth competitor to die at the Winter Games, all in training, and the first since 1992.

Crashes happen often in luge -- at least 12 sliders have wrecked just this week on the daunting Whistler surface. Still, some who have been around tracks their entire lives couldn't remember someone actually being thrown over the wall.

"It's a very rare situation," three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said, clearly shaken after seeing Kumaritashvili tended to furiously by medical workers.

Shortly before the accident, Hackl said he didn't believe the Whistler track was unsafe.

"People have the opinion it is dangerous but the track crew does the best it can and they are working hard to make sure the track is in good shape and everyone is safe," he said. "My opinion is that it's not any more dangerous than anywhere else."

VANOC officials said the investigation was taking place to "ensure a safe field of play."

"As athletes, we know that the international federation, the IOC and VANOC have no higher priority than ensuring our safety, on and off the field of play," said British luger A.J. Rosen, who dislocated his hip in a crash at the Whistler track last fall. "I know they are looking into this and, should it be deemed necessary for them to introduce additional measures, they will do so."

This was Kumaritashvili's second crash during training for the games, the first coming Wednesday in the opening session. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs.

His last recorded speed Friday was 89.4 mph, measured near the last curve. He was on a higher path -- line, they call it in luge -- down the final turns of the track than most sliders prefer, and the combination of speed and gravitational pull was too much for his 176-pound body to control.

Sliding diagonally, Kumaritashvili smashed into a corner entering the final straightaway feet-first. He was knocked off his sled and sailed in the other direction, coming to rest on a metal walkway after his upper body smashed into the post. The first rescue worker just happened to be nearby and was at his side within three seconds.

"His competitive spirit and dedication to sports excellence will be remembered and honored during the games," Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper said.

This would have been Kumaritashvili's first Olympics. He competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.

Earlier in the day, two-time Olympic champion Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was knocked unconscious and at least four Americans -- Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked -- have had serious trouble just getting down the track.

"RIP Nodar Kumaritashvili," American skeleton athlete Kyle Tress, who did not qualify for the Olympic team, wrote on his Twitter feed. "Let's never forget how dangerous these sports can be."

Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2010, 09:31:30 PM »

http://www.chron.com/sports/photogallery/Luge_death_casts_pall_over_Winter_Olympics.html#20416577

  Luge death casts pall over Winter Olympics
Friday, Feb. 12: A men’s luger from the nation of Georgia died after a crash during training, hours before the Opening Ceremony.


Slide Show at Link
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2010, 09:41:38 PM »

http://www.chron.com/sports/photogallery/Luge_death_casts_pall_over_Winter_Olympics.html#20416567

From the Slide Show:


 Feb 12 2010 5:48PM
  Elise Amendola /
AP
Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia is seen at the start during his first training run of the day for the men's singles luge in Whistler, British Columbia.


Feb 12 2010 3:04PM
 Michael Sohn /
AP
The sled belonging to Nodar Kumaritashvili is seen still on the track after his crash. Kumaritashvili was 21.


Feb 12 2010 6:45PM
 JAVIER SORIANO /
AFP/Getty Images
A photograph of Nodar Kumaritashvili and a bouquet of flowers form a memorial under the Olympics Rings on a street in Whistler.


Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #3 on: February 13, 2010, 02:30:51 PM »

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/sports/olympics/14track.html

Fast and Risky, Sledding Track Drew Red Flags
By JONATHAN ABRAMS and JOHN BRANCH
Published: February 13, 2010
 (Photos and video at site)
WHISTLER, British Columbia — The crash that killed a luge athlete at the Winter Olympics on Friday followed warning signs and a drumbeat of concern conveyed by athletes and officials since the Whistler Sliding Centre opened in 2008.
More...
« Last Edit: February 13, 2010, 02:35:00 PM by MuffyBee » Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2010, 12:59:48 AM »

http://www.kvue.com/sports/84251282.html
Probe: Olympic track didn't cause luger's death

Posted on February 13, 2010 at 10:05 AM
WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) — Olympic officials have decided against any major changes in the track or any delays in competition in the wake of the horrifying accident that claimed the life of a 21-year-old Georgian luger.

They said they would raise the wall where the slider flew off the track and make an unspecified "change in the ice profile" — as a preventative measure "to avoid that such an extremely exceptional accident could occur again."

Within sight of the finish line, Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed coming out of the 16th turn and slammed into an unpadded steel pillar while traveling at nearly 90 mph (145 kph). Despite frantic attempts by paramedics to save his life, he died at a trauma center.

Concerns about the lightning-fast course had been raised for months. There were worries that the $100 million-plus venue was too technically difficult, and a lack of significant practice time by everyone but the host nation's sliders would result in a rash of accidents.

But the International Luge Federation and Vancouver Olympic officials said their investigation showed that "there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track.
"

In a joint statement, they said Kumaritashvili was late coming out of the next-to-last turn and failed to compensate. "This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem, he eventually lost control of the sled, resulting in the tragic accident."
More...
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2010, 08:38:54 PM »

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Luger-who-died-told-father-he-was-terrified-of?urn=oly,219592
Luger who died told father he was terrified of Whistler track

By Chris Chase
Sun Feb 14, 2010 4:55 pm EST


The day before he died, luger Nodar Kumaritashvili spoke to his father by phone and said he was terrified of the track at the Whistler Sliding Center.

David Kumaritashvili gave an interview Sunday outside his house in the Georgian mountain town of Bakuriani, recounting one of the last conversations he had with his 21-year-old son. The Wall Street Journal reports:

    "He called me before the Olympics, three days ago, and he said, 'Dad, I'm scared of one of the turns.'

    "I said, 'Put your legs down on the ice to slow down,' but he said if he started the course he would finish it. ... He was brave."

Nodar Kumaritashvili also spoke with his parents minutes before his fateful slide, telling them he planned to make them proud, according to The Globe and Mail.

Since his death, many people have debated whether the track was too fast or the relatively inexperienced luger was out of his element. A number of Olympic lugers think the track was fine. They fault Kumaritashvili – a sentiment shared by luging officials who deemed the track safe (even while hypocritically lowering the starting location and adding pads to the metal beams that caused the death).

Germany's Natalie Geisenberger, who won a race at Whistler last year, said the women's event has turned into a kids race, a startlingly insensitive remark given the tragedy of Friday:

    I'm not happy about the new start.

    It’s not a woman’s start, it’s a kinder (German for children’s) start. The rest of the track is OK, but it's not as fast as from the proper start. It's the same for all the athletes, but I don't like it. I felt very good, but now because of the new start it's not fun.

Canadian Regan Lauscher complained that the lowered start means her nation's home-track advantage is "basically gone." Given that some have said Canada's resistance to allow other countries to train at the Whistler track played a role in Kumaritashvili's death, that comment beats out even Geisenberger's for insensitivity. Maybe Lauscher is taking cues from her coach, Wolfgang Staudinger, who said that "exotic sliders" are the reasons luge accidents happen.
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
MuffyBee
Former Moderator
Monkey Mega Star
*
Offline Offline

Posts: 44737



« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2010, 11:05:44 PM »

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/oly/6868242.html
Service held for Georgian luger killed in crash
February 15, 2010
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Olympic luger killed in a crash was honored with prayers and candles at a memorial service Monday, his body beginning the long journey home to his devastated village in Georgia.

Grieving teammates and officials, as well as international and Vancouver organizers, attended the brief private service for Nodar Kumaritashvili at a Vancouver funeral home.

The brown casket was placed in a gray hearse and driven away with a police motorcycle escort. Later in the day, the body was being taken on a flight to Germany, where it will then be flown to Georgia for burial in Bakuriani.

“He’s on his way home,” said Patrick Hickey, head of the European Olympic Committees.

The 21-year-old luger died during training Friday hours before the opening ceremony. He lost control of his sled on the lightning-fast track in Whistler and slammed into a trackside steel pole at nearly 90 mph.

The president of Georgia’s Olympic Committee, Gia Natsvlishili, was accompanying Kumaritashvili’s body back to Georgia. Hickey said the casket would be received in Georgia by Patriarch Ilia II.

Tears streaming down his face, senior Georgian Olympic official Ramaz Goglidze said Kumaritashvili’s village of 1,500 people remained in deep mourning.

“For every family in the village it’s a tragedy,” he said. “Even people who never met him cry all day, everyone.”

About two dozen people attended Monday’s service, including Kumaritashvili’s uncle and coach, Felix, who broke into tears outside the funeral home.

Three Georgian athletes, including figure skater Otar Japaridze, wearing a black armband on his red team jacket, were there. So were several Georgians who live in Vancouver and came to pay respects, carrying flowers and candles.

The mourners gathered on the street, consoling each other, before going inside where Kumaritashvili’s body was in an open casket. Members of the Georgian team filed past and touched the body. Others lit candles and said prayers.

“People stood around in shock and sorrow,” Hickey said. “There were no speeches. People had their own private moment, reflecting on the situation. It was a really solemn occasion, everyone so unified standing around sharing in the sorrow.”

Ten people — including Vancouver organizing committee head John Furlong — carried the casket out of the building and placed it in the back of the hearse. Furlong and Hickey shook hands with each of the 14 yellow-jacketed Vancouver motorcycle policemen, who then escorted the hearse away.

Furlong said organizers helped expedite Canadian formalities so the luger’s body could be returned home as soon as possible.

“It was extremely moving and heartbreaking to be there,” Furlong said. “We did the best we could to bring the appropriate environment to bring closure to what happened here.”
Logged

  " Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts."  - Daniel Moynihan
Pages: 1   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Use of this web site in any manner signifies unconditional acceptance, without exception, of our terms of use.
Powered by SMF 1.1.13 | SMF © 2006-2011, Simple Machines LLC
 
Page created in 6.163 seconds with 19 queries.