Luge Practice Run Turns Fatal Prior to 2010 Winter Olympics

Started by Super Sonic Boom, February 12, 2010, 02:12:53 PM

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Super Sonic Boom

Just today at about 10:30 EST, a men's Olympic luger from the country of Georgia died after a high-speed crash on a track that is the world's fastest luge track. Nearing the end of his run, 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.

How fast was he going to be exact? He was going about 80 MPH OR about 144 KMH when his sled lost control and fatally killed him when he jumped the track. Paramedics tried to revive him for about 20 minutes, but to no success did they succeed in bringing him back. The unusual part about this story is that several athletes have practiced on the same track a few days before and have also crashed around the same area raising the question "How safe is the track?"

Georgia lugers will participate in the sport tomorrow with one man down, but their runs will be in memory for him. With such speed came great risks that can challenge even the best of lugers, sadly...the risk this time became a reality and the outcome was the worst one possible. :(

The fatal run can be viewed here using this link, but be warned it is graphic.
Just to tell you, it does show the luger hitting the pole but the pole is behind the athlete.