Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after crash

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Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili dies after crash​

The death of a luge competitor who left the track at high speed has cast a shadow over the Winter Olympics in Canada ahead of the opening ceremony.

Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili's sled flipped and he smashed into a steel pole at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

An Olympic official later confirmed the 21-year-old had died as a result.

Training was immediately suspended after the accident, which happened just hours before the ceremony to open the 21st Winter Games in Vancouver.

Kumaritashvili's sled struck the inside of the track's final turn, sending his body into the air and over a concrete wall.

His sled remained on the track, and the visor from his helmet appeared to continue down the ice.

"Georgian slider Nodar Kumaritashvili has had a serious crash in the final run of official training for the men's singles on Friday," said an official statement initially released.

"He fell out of the track when he crashed. He was treated on site by medical staff who administered CPR, and was then taken away in an ambulance."

German International Olympic Committee official Thomas Bach later confirmed Kumaritashvili had died as a result of his injuries.

The track at Whistler, which is shared by the sports of luge, skeleton and bobsleigh, already has a reputation as one of the fastest - and most dangerous - in the world.

In the build-up to the Games several teams had raised concerns about the safety of athletes, who regularly exceed 90mph as they compete.

Before Kumaritashvili's crash, British skeleton slider Amy Williams told BBC Sport: "I just hope Whistler is safe and that there aren't too many crashes and serious injuries."

Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg added: "I think they are pushing it a little too much.

"To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives."

Their comments followed earlier accidents, including one involving gold medal favourite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy and several during women's luge training runs on Wednesday.

Among those to crash was Romania's Violeta Stramaturaru, who was knocked unconscious for a few minutes and taken to hospital.

British skeleton's performance director, Andi Schmid, said a lack of track time for athletes in the run-up to the Games had increased the risk of accidents.

"I would say especially for speed sports you need to have more access to tracks and whoever organises the Olympics needs to offer that," said Schmid during preparations for the Games.

"Not only so that everyone has a fair chance but also because of the danger. We need to be careful so that these sports stay great action sports and don't become dangerous killer sports.

"I'm not saying that will happen but some athletes from other nations are less experienced."

Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.

Members of the International Luge Federation were asked to attend a briefing following the crash, and team captains from each nation attended an emergency meeting.

Prior to the Vancouver Games, no Winter Olympic athlete had been killed during an event.

But the 1964 Games in Innsbruck were overshadowed by the deaths of two competitors before it began.

British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski was killed during practice two weeks before on the Igls Olympic track, and Australian skier Ross Milne was died during training for the same Games.

A minute's silence for the pair was observed at the opening ceremony.
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Source: BBC news

Crap start to this winter olympics.
 
Leunam said:
And it's going to bring out pun-gaf.
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If people want to be natural arseholes about it, then so be it. Hopefully they refrain from shooting their mouth off before they disrespect an athlete, a sport, and an organisation.
 
Yeah, probably deserves attention outside the thread. RIP =(

Still feel disturbed from watching his crash vid.
 
The Faceless Master said:
sad news :(


when someone DIES, it's one of those situations where megathreads can go fuck themselves.
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Yeah, especially since this news is of interest to more people than those who would be otherwise talking about the olympics before they start.


Luge always strikes me as such a terrifying sport. I don't follow it closely enough to know how often accidents actually happen, but it just seems so likely that if something goes wrong at all, it will go horribly wrong. Can't imagine ever thinking about trying it myself.
 
BigJonsson said:
Not to be a huge dick but there is a stickied Olympics thread with a discussion on this tragedy already :(
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STOP. STOP. STOP with the all-encompassing megathread bullshit replies. It's bad for the forum.
 
Wow. That's sad. Right before the big games, every athlete's dream to make, start too.

Apparently this track is overly difficult. They're contemplating putting up plexiglass there now.
 
Although I didn't follow this sport that much, I still feels bad to see someone go


Whenever I see a death of an athlete, Bruce McLaren comes to my head

"...To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. It would be a waste of life to do nothing with one’s ability, for I feel that life is measured in achievement, not in years alone"

RIP
 
I love bob and luge and I've seen quite a lot of competitors going out of the track ... But FFS they wasn't any fucking steel beams in the way!!!!!!!
 
Wow. I always thought Luge was wild-ass crazy but I thought the guys would be largely safely contained in the tracks. Apparently not. Ouch. :-(
 
EviLore said:
STOP. STOP. STOP with the all-encompassing megathread bullshit replies. It's bad for the forum.
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uh dude, you know there's a thread for complaints right?


Anyways, fuck, this is messed up :\

RIP
 
Cereal KiIIer said:
I love bob and luge and I've seen quite a lot of competitors going out of the track ... But FFS they wasn't any fucking steel beams in the way!!!!!!!
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the speed at which he was going seemed to be high, correct me if Im wrong, but even if those beams weren't in the way, wouldn't it still be likely to cause serious damage/death?
 
EviLore said:
STOP. STOP. STOP with the all-encompassing megathread bullshit replies. It's bad for the forum.
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THANK YOU. When threads like this come up it IS helpful for those who aren't keeping up with the megathread and people use that bullshit criticism with ulterior motives involved sometimes.
 
Geez. That's horrible. I wish they didn't post pictures, and I wish I didn't feel the need to look at them. :\
 
This really is horrible. As a vancouverite this is the worst possible way to start the games.
Also, the cynic in me wonders whether there will be any sort of increase in viewership for these events?
 
RIP. Glad I don't feel the urge to look (gawk?) at the video or pics.

I've never met a Georgian whose name doesn't end "vili".
 
am i the only one who had to google "luger" here?
02-luger-pistol-and-magazine.jpg


WUUUT

lets try "luger olympic"
411117_m03.jpg


aaaaah ok
 
the whole event is going to have a pall over it now.. unfortunately there are a number of sports that are still extremely dangerous, and that's part of the thrill of watching them, but that's no excuse for using a track that's this hazardous. you might as well put spikes and bombs on the course.
 
Crazy, were we talking at lunch the other day just how dangerous the luge is. Tragic. I'm really surprised this doesn't happen more often though.
 
Cereal KiIIer said:
WHO THE FUCK MADE THIS TRACK PASS SAFETY INSPECTION??????????


WTF!!!!!!!

That would be like putting steel beams in the middle of a road just to be sure you stop instantantly.
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HOLY SHIT!

They cannot race on that track with it like that, that's insanity.
 
Wow, I never seen much of this sport, what was his top speed?

So sad that a a simple net up the side of the track may have saved his life :(
 
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