Unfortunate news has come out of the 2010 winter games at a Friday training session, where news that Nodar Kumitashvili, an Olympic luger killed in a luge crash accident, has stunned the Olympics early on. Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luge competitor, was just 21 years old at the time of his death. Worries of safety issues are now being voiced in Vancouver, British Columbia due to today's pre Olympic death news.
The tragic accident occurred at the Whistler Sliding Center as Nodar's sled was going 90 miles per hour when it bounced over the side rim of the track. Kumaritashvili was thrown from the sled and hit into an unprotected metal pole causing his death instantly. Rescue workers did their best to try to revive the young athlete via resuscitation and chest compressions, but it was to no avail. He was airlifed to a Whistler trauma center and later pronounced dead. The fatal crash occurred on Friday just hours ahead of the 2010 Winter games opening ceremonies on NBC. International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has stated the death casts a dark cloud over the games.
Videos of the tragedy keep surfacing online, despite the attempts of the Olympic International Committee to keep them down. Several videos have surfaced on popular video website, YouTube, but were taken down. The Huffington Post was also displaying a video of the crash, but took it down as well. ESPN.com has a photo of part of the accident on their latest article about the crash.
According to ESPN's report, this is the first Winter Olympics fatality since 1992, but the fourth since the games started back in 1924. Several deaths have occurred due to snow grooming machine incidents, as well as a luger accident back in 1964. There have been several deaths during the Summer games as well.
IOC president Jacques Rogge was clearly choked up as he delivered a statement earlier regarding the Olympic death. He noted that the IOC is in deep mourning over the news of Nodar Kumaritashvili Olympic luger killed in a luge crash accident, with the young athlete losing his life while "pursuing his passion".
For more on this story, refer to ESPN.com article here
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