BBC Sport

 

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.

TC Admin

Feb 10 2010, 11:42 PM

The one that's been mentioned here a few times

Quote:

 

The look on Australian Steven Bradbury's face said it all - he couldn't believe it, nor could anyone else. Bradbury had just won the 1,000m race at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, relying on little more than his own ineptitude to see him through. Bradbury couldn't keep pace with his rivals, which he knew, but when they all crashed ahead of him on the final bend Bradbury claimed the gold medal

TC Admin

Feb 13 2010, 05:02 AM

That was quite an impressive Opening Ceremony. Went on for hours though