Posted on 02/12/2010 12:19:26 PM PST by iowamark
WHISTLER - Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili was sent to Whistler Hospital on Friday after a terrifying crash at Whistler Olympic Park.
There are reports that Kumaritashvili has died.
Kumaritashvili was going near 150 km/h near the end of the course, when he launched off the track.
Witnesses say his body hit a metal pole. CPR was performed almost immediately and an ambulance rushed Kumaritashvili from Whistler Olympic Park.
The Province's Terry Bell has been told that Kumaritashvili hit his head on a metal pole as he flew off the track. Medical personnel performed CPR through a plastic tube. "It does not look good," says Bell.
Kumaritashvili turned 21 in November. He has competed in luge for Georgia since 2008.
Earlier Friday during luge training, one of the event favourites got a scare. The 2002 and 2006 gold medallist Armin Zoeggler of Italy crashed rounding corner 11.'
Zoeggler slid about 200 metres while holding his sled with one hand to keep from being hit with it. Zoeggler recovered from his crash and took his second run in a fast 47.9 to put him near the top of the training times.
On Wednesday there were several crashes during women's luge training runs. Romania's Violeta Stramaturaru crashed and was knocked unconscious for a few minutes and was taken to the hospital. Zoeggler recovered from his crash and took his second run in a fast 47.9 to put him near the top of the training times.
Sad Olympic Ping!
Sounds as if that luge run needs some serious modification. How horrible.
A risky sport, just like auto racing.
Well, at least he died doing something besides booze, drugs and other forms of debauchery.
Rest in peace, man.
I didn’t see any video at the site, but I found it on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-tZGk8Qao
It probably wasn’t a great idea to put big metal poles every few feet right next to the track after the turns.
That’s sad.
Or not.
OOPS! - The IOC is asserting copyright claim - it was there a few minutes ago.
A nasty crash - he died almost instantly, I imagine.
Auto racers have a metal cage around them, at least. Luge always looked dangerous to me because they are completely exposed.
Around 1981 or so, a friend and I were watching a luge event on TV in which a competitor slammed — at full speed — into a brick bridge that spanned the luge run.
It was horrific, but after showing the crash, the commentators went onto other things and never referred to the crash or that competitor again.
After the program, I wondered out loud what his condition was. My friend was certain that he was dead.
To this day I have no idea.
You're right about that. I find it odd that there were these many incidents this early in the event. There should have been some clues that this course was dangerous before today. The sport is dangerous enough on the safest courses.
Good thing they did pull it, it was sickening to watch.
“This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by International Olympic Committee.”
That didn’t take long, did it? IOC isn’t much concerned about safety but they are certainly on top of Youtube.
It has been removed from You Tube..... copyrights
looks like video has been taken down.....
Normally a year before they have some practice events to test out the tracks.
This was ‘Epic Design Fail.’
I didn’t see any video at the link. I usually only watch sports like this for the crashes I admit but it is too bad this young man apparantly died.
I guess the rule should be no metal poles or trees or anything near the luge run a luger might be able to fly into.
Not a bad thing.
Only the Faces of Death fan ghouls would enjoy watching it, anyway.
Or at least have some kind of mesh gate like they have for skiers to protect them.
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