Thread: R.I.P. Nodor Kumaritashvili

Originally Posted by -Sauso-

Originally Posted by deathgodusmc

Originally Posted by Potemkine

Major props for the Canadians and the Olympic committee to lower their flags to half staff in his memory.

I dont give them props. Maybe if they had let other countries inspect the track it could have been avoided.

"The danger of the Whistler track has been talked about for months -- particularly after several countries, including the U.S., were upset over access restrictions for everyone but Canada, with some noting it could lead to a safety issue."

Learn the facts before you talk out of your ass per usual. EVERY country who was competing was given time on the track .

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- A men's Olympic luger from the country of Georgia died Friday after a high-speed crash on a track that is the world's fastest and has raised safety concerns among competitors. A tearful IOC president Jacques Rogge said the death hours before the opening ceremony "clearly casts a shadow over these games."

Nodar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled during training, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center. Paramedics and doctors were unable to revive the 21-year-old luger, who died at a hospital, the International Olympic Committee said.

"We are heartbroken beyond words," said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver organizing committee.

Before speaking at a news conference, Rogge took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and said, "Sorry, it's a bit difficult to remain composed. This is a very sad day, and the IOC is in deep mourning."




"Here you have a young athlete that lost his life in pursuing his passion," Rogge said. "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 said he was in contact with Kumaritashvili's family and officials from the Georgian government. Georgia's Olympic committee was deciding whether to remain in the games, Rogge added.

An investigation into the crash started quickly, although Rogge said this was not the time to talk about it. The men's luge competition is to begin Saturday afternoon. Officials at the Whistler track were uncertain if the schedule would be affected.

Rescue workers were at Kumaritashvili's side within seconds. Chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.

The first sign Kumaritashvili was truly in trouble came only three seconds before the crash on Curve 13, the most perilous turn. His speed of 89.4 mph -- his best during six training runs on this track -- almost certainly means he had never gone faster.

Kumaritashvili's line -- as the path is known in luge -- entering the next-to-last curve had him traveling along a higher route than most racers prefer. That's where it got especially dangerous. His 176-pound body was no match for the gravitational forces along that sweeping turn. That, plus the high rate of speed, sent him careening up the high, banked, ice-covered wall.

Sliding diagonally down the wall, Kumaritashvili hit the corner entering the final straightaway with his lower body. The impact knocked him off the sled and flying across the track, his arms and legs flailing.

After smashing into the pole, he was motionless on a metal walkway. His left leg was in the air and his left foot was propped atop the track wall when the first rescue worker arrived and placed both hands on his helmet.

The rest of men's training was canceled for the day, with VANOC officials saying an investigation was taking place to "ensure a safe field of play."




The danger of the Whistler track has been talked about for months -- particularly after several countries, including the U.S., were upset over access restrictions for everyone but Canada, with some noting it could lead to a safety issue.




Kumaritashvili is the fourth competitor to die at the Winter Games and the first since 1992.

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

Shortly before the accident, Hackl said he didn't believe the 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 anymore dangerous that anywhere else."

Five-time Olympian Mark Grimmette, chosen as the U.S. team's flag bearer, said the speeds on the track are pushing the boundaries of safety.

"We're probably getting close," he said Thursday. "This track is fast and you definitely have to be on your game. ... So it's definitely something they are going to have to take into account on future tracks."

American luger Christian Niccum crashed during a World Cup event in Whistler last year.

"When I hit that ice going 90 mph it turns into fire," Niccum said Thursday. "I remember coming around to the finish and I just wanted to rip off my suit, 'I'm on fire. I'm on fire.' "

This was Kumaritashvili's second crash during training for the games. He also failed to finish his second of six practice runs, and in the runs he did finish, his average speed was about 88 mph -- significantly less than the speed the top sliders are managing on this lightning-fast course.

It was unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, although many sliders have exceeded 90 mph on this course. More than a dozen athletes have crashed during Olympic training for luge, and some questioned whether athletes from smaller nations -- like Georgia -- had enough time to prepare for the daunting track.

At the finish area, not far from where Kumaritashvili lost control, athletes, coaches and officials solemnly awaited word on Kumaritashvili before eventually being ushered away. Access to the crash area was closed within about 30 minutes.

"I've never seen anything like that," said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India.

Representatives from the three U.S. sliding federations were to release a joint statement later Friday. American athletes were not immediately made available for reaction after news of the death was confirmed.

"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."

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

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

Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite 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 briefly 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.

"I think they are pushing it a little too much," Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night after she nearly lost control in training. "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."

At the 1992 Albertville Games, Nicholas Bochatay of Switzerland died after crashing into a snow grooming machine during training for the demonstration sport of speed skiing on the next-to-last day of the games. He was practicing on a public slope before his event was to begin.

Australian downhill skier Ross Milne died when he struck a tree during a training run shortly before the 1964 Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki also died in a crash during training in Innsbruck.

At the 1988 Calgary Games, an Austrian team doctor, Jorg Oberhammer, died after being hit by a snow grooming machine.

Stephen Wilson is a sportswriter for The Associated Press. The AP's Tim Reynolds and Tom Withers also contributed to this report. Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2010/02...r-fatal-crash/


Thats why i put it in fucking quotes. Why dont you learn the facts before blasting off at the fucking mouth.

Ah man you are always good for a laugh, living in your little bubble.
So you posted an article, good for you.

Do you know every country competing gets a minimum amount of time per venue or competitions will not go on?!. Tracks are not just whipped up and made without restrictions, certifications and inspections....oh oh! done by the international sled federation and the IOC.

A death happened and safety measures will be taken in the future, just like any sport.

Originally Posted by -Sauso-

You got it Pote.

Make sure to give out my # to all the hot chicks :2

posted in wrong thread

Any sport where you are going 80+ mph in something other than a car/boat, you risk serious injury, or in this case death. Death happens in all sports. This time the death could have possibly been avoided had the engineers taken extra safety precautions for ensuring that if in fact this did happen, the injuries/risk would be reduced as significantly as possible.

Surely on a track where you are reaching almost 90 mph, as the engineer you HAVE to think "What if he flies out of the luge track? Hmmm, those unprotected steel beams might be A BIG FUCKING PROBLEM!!!!"

I'm not one to point fingers in a tragic time like this, but the negligence of safety issues by whoever built this thing is to blame.

But like all sports, when something serious like this happens, we will review the issues, fix the problems for the future, and the sport with go on.

Track was re opened last night by the International Luge Federation and Vanoc and the corner was fully built up, and they will be starting from the women's starts.

Originally Posted by -Sauso-

Ah man you are always good for a laugh, living in your little bubble.
So you posted an article, good for you.

Do you know every country competing gets a minimum amount of time per venue or competitions will not go on?!. Tracks are not just whipped up and made without restrictions, certifications and inspections....oh oh! done by the international sled federation and the IOC.

A death happened and safety measures will be taken in the future, just like any sport.

No i made a statement saying that they maybe if they had let other countries inspect the track it could of been avoided. You got insulted because it was a negative one about canada and decided to go on a personal attack without knowing the facts. So then i posted the facts for you to read because obviously you had no intention of going to find them.

Do you honestly think letting other pairs of eyes look at the track is a bad thing? Maybe one of them would have thought maybe this turn could use a net seeing as there is a big ass metal beam here. That ok though just keep attacking me on it. Nevermind the fact what i said was the truth.

As for the rest of my posts that you seem to be so offended with those are my opinions posted all over the forum which i have stated a thousand time that they are no more than my opinion. You dont like them dont read them because i sure dont care if you like them or not.

And how many times do you have to be told that other countries were given time? Who inspects the course? The International Luge Federation
And since you failed to read i will say again.. All competing countries in the event are given a certain amount of training time before an event will even take place. If not, the event will not go on.

Sounds like the Olympic speed skating oval all over again. Some people complaining they weren't allowed to train when in fact every country who wanted time on it GOT it.

I'm the one posting the facts, all you have done is copy and paste and toss up a link.