Olympic luger killed

[Upton]

Tragedy struck at the Whistler Sliding Centre Friday morning when Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, flew off the track at high speed, smashed into a metal girder and and died.

The crash occurred near the bottom of the course, commonly billed as the fastest and most challenging track in the world. Kumaritashvili hit the track's inside wall, flew in the air up and over the outside wall and struck the girder. His speed was estimated at 144.3 km/h.

Joseph Fendt, president of the World Luge Federation, told London’s Daily Telegraph: ‘’The track is too fast. We had planned it to be a maximum of 137 km/h but it is about 20km/h faster. We think this is a planning mistake.’’

Officials are investigating the causes of the accident.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Olympic+luger+dies+shock/2556583/story.html

It goes without saying that this is a tragedy. There's been a lot of talk on Seattle sports radio today about how this particular track is the fastest in the world...so fast that many consider it unsafe..

[joeybee12]

1. Oh shit, how awful...21

I don't think I'd ever heard of something like this at the Olympics.

[Upton]

2. Only the 4th Winter Olympian to die..

There are videos of the crash that I've seen, but they're getting pulled as fast as I can find them..

[Condem]

3. Not much to see, Upton.

Thankfully.

[njlib]

4. Horrible...just horrible

From what I saw, it all happened so fast. I guess the only consolation is that his death appeared to be instantaneous and he died doing what he loved, what he spent years training for, chasing his dream.

I'm watching the opening ceremony now and it's going to be incredibly sad when the Georgian delegation marches into the stadium.