Vancouver 2010

The luge track where a Georgian athlete died is being refitted with safer walls after the tragedy cast a somber mood over the opening ceremony. “The Whistler track where Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili died Friday is being changed to lessen a dangerous curve. Late on Friday night, just after the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, the International Luge Federation said training would resume this weekend after the wall where Kumaritashvili went out of control and slammed into an exposed metal pillar is raised and the track’s ice profile raised. Vanoc released a statement saying both the BC Coroners Service and FIL officials had investigated the accident. The federation concluded Kumaritashvili failed to make a correction once he entered the final curve and slammed into the pillar.

‘It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16,’ the FIL said. This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident.”