Death of Luger casts pall over Olympics

Doug Thompson — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:11:57 +0000

The horrifying death of Republic of Georgia luger Norad Kumaritashvili Friday at the Whistler Sliding Center was not the way Olympics promoters wanted to kick off the Winter Games but the games go as and the Coroners Service of British, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the International Luge Federation (FIL) Saturday blamed mistakes by the luger and not the track for the accident that took the young athlete’s life.

Even so, Olympics officials shortened the track and the teams will start lower on the run.

The practice death marked the third time in history that an Olympics athlete has died in practice at the beginning of the games.

Changes coming to Olympic luge track after fatal crash (cnn.com)
What Part of ‘Slow It Down’ Doesn’t the IOC Get? (abcnews.go.com)
Death Casts Pall Over Olympics (online.wsj.com)
Probe: Olympic track didn’t cause luger’s death (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Olympian Nodar Kumaritashvili Dies in Luge Crash (blippitt.com)

American Newsreel » Winter Games

Death of Luger casts pall over Olympics

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