Georgial Luge Athlete Dies on Olympic Training Run

Sanya · Feb 12, 2010

Trying not to cry in front of more than 500 journalists, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge emotionally confirmed the death of Georgial luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died Friday morning in a horrific crash only hours before the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

Rogge's normally iron exterior crumbled as he started to say how sorry he was that Kumaritashvilin had died in hospital.

He stopped, put his fingers to his eyes and wiped away tears.

"Sorry, it is difficult to remain composed. This is a very sad day," Rogge said. "The IOC is in deep mourning. Here, you have a young athlete who lost his life in pursuing his passion. He had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games. He trained hard and he had this fatal accident. I have no words to say what we feel."

Rogge had planned a press conference Friday afternoon to cover off issues arising from the 122nd Olympic Session, which ended that morning. But the meeting was quickly derailed by news that Kumaritashvili had died in hospital after slamming into a metal pole at the end of his last training run at Whistler Sliding Centre.

Rogge was joined at the conference by John Furlong, the chief executive of the Vancouver Organizing Committee, who looked equally shaken. Furlong, who has taken it personally that every athlete should have the best experience at the Games, sniffed several times as he tried to speak.

"Nodar Kumaritashvili came to Canada with hopes and dreams that this would be a magnificent occasion in his life. I am told by members of his federation he was an incredibly spirted person and he came here to be able to feel what it is like to call yourself an Olympian.

"We are heartbroken beyond words to be sitting here. I am so sorry to be in this position to be reporting this to you. It is not something I had prepared for or thought I would be prepared for," he said.

"My team has been devastated by this and our thoughts and prayers are of course now with Nodar's family, his friends, the athletes from Georgia and we will now turn out to assist them in the most Canadian way we can."

B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell issued his condolences in a statement.

"The loss of a gifted, talented young athlete training for the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is heartbreaking for people around the globe.

"We all want to see athletes compete hard and succeed in their chosen sports, but at the same time our paramount concern is always for their safety and health.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Nodar's loved ones during this tragic time."

Josef Fendt, the president of the International Luge Federation, also issued a statement.

"This is a terrible accident. This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the 'luge family', are naturally with those touched by this event."

Rogge said the accident is under investigation by the International Luge Federation, whose officials had approved the track. He said the outcome of the investigation will be made public. He said he had spoken by phone to the president of the Republic of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is in Vancouver to watch the Games.

In response to a question from a reporter, Rogge said he didn't know if the Georgian team would withdraw from the Games.

"The decision is not final that they are considering participating, but they have not confirmed yet," he said.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Kumaritashvili died in hospital after doctors were unable to revive him. Training on the track has been suspended until officials know what happened.

The accident took place on a track dubbed "The Elevator Shaft" because of its extreme speed.

When it was first designed several years ago, engineers calculated a maximum speed of 136 kilometres an hour. But last years a new record was set of 154 kilometres an hour.

Just before Kumaritashvili's run, Austria's Manuel Pfister reached a speed of 154.0 kilometres per hour.

Kumaritashvili was going approximately 145 kilometres an hour when his sled rounded the last corner, hit the inside wall and propelled him airborne into a steel pole.
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http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports...onfirms+luge+athlete+death/2557778/story.html

Look up the pictures and the video at your own risk, it's too disturbing to post here. Just truly horrible that this happened... as dangerous as the sport is, this should have not have happened. Thoughts and prayers are with his family.

draik88 · Feb 12, 2010

It is a sad day here in Vancouver indeed. They're saying it might have been just because he was too inexperienced to really handle a run like that one. The Georgial team did say that they will be attending the Opening Ceremonies tonight, and that they will still compete in his honour. Our thoughts will all be with them tonight, that's for sure.

krayzie · Feb 12, 2010

that must really suck
workin all your life to make it and dying just hours before it happens...

The Twin · Feb 12, 2010

Heard about this, and I feel just awful. My thoughts are definitely with the family, who were probably really looking forward to seeing him competing this upcoming week and now have to deal with this loss.

And it sounds like they still don't know what caused the crash.

Luna Lovegood · Feb 15, 2010

It was kind of like a kick in the stomach to all of the Olympic athletes. The day of the opening ceremony... it's tragic.
The team from Georgia got a standing ovation when they walked into the stadium at the opening ceremony. They looked shaken and somber, but I think they were really brave to keep going.

They showed the video of it on the 6:00 news here. I definitely wasn't expecting that. I suppose they showed it because you couldn't see the injuries, but it was still very disturbing.

TheVader74 · Feb 16, 2010

This is a damn shame, for sure. I haven't watched the video, and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to. Just before the opening ceremony too... It's certainly cast a pall over the Winter Olympics. My thoughts to the Georgian team and his family.

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Georgial Luge Athlete Dies on Olympic Training Run

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