Obit: Olympic athlete killed in luge accident

Subject: Obit: Olympic athlete killed
From: 3refs
Date: 12 Feb 10 - 09:39 PM

Condolences to his family and the people of Georgia!

http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx/Story.aspx?ID=1195942
Olympic athlete killed in luge accident Vancouver/CKNW (AM980) Marcella Bernardo | Email news tips to Marcella 2/12/2010

The opening day of the 2010 Olympics has been marred by tragedy.

A young athlete from Georgia has died after crashing during a test run on the luge track at Whistler Olympic Village.

Nodar Kumaritashvili was 21 years old.

Reports out of Whistler indicate he hit his head on a metal pillar after going off the track at a speed of 140 kilometres an hour.

Subject: RE: Obit: Olympic athlete killed
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 04:20 PM

RIP

~S~

Subject: RE: Obit: Olympic athlete killed in luge accident
From: Ebbie
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 10:49 PM

I understand they have shortened the track now by having a lower start to keep the speed down.

Subject: RE: Obit: Olympic athlete killed in luge accident
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:04 PM

They have added height to the wall above the ice in the location where he was killed along with a few other places and also made the changes to the start that Ebbie mentioned.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Olympic athlete killed in luge accident
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:13 PM

I was shocked there were no safety barriers around the pillars, esp. Even the local drag racing place has bales of straw piled around the edges of the track.

They said they are starting the men at the women's starting place which is 600 feet lower, as noted above. Still, I see tonight, they are still getting into the 90s mph.

I feel sad for his family and friends as well as the Canadians. It seems something which could have been avoided.

Subject: RE: Obit: Olympic athlete killed in luge accident
From: catspaw49
Date: 13 Feb 10 - 11:43 PM

It might have been kat, but then again, no one had gone off there as he did. The technology of racing (anything) has always outdistanced the safety devices. People don't intentionally build things that way and although it often seems like owners never really do anything until someone dies, there are times that they are operating in what they do believe is safe.

I too feel for his family. His Dad was a Luger as well and had it turned out that one day he was a champion, the story would be different and we'd all feel good about the son who made his Dad proud. Now we have this proud old man crying over his lost son. Watching him this afternoon all I could think was how badly he needed a hug...................


Spaw