redbull
02-12-2010, 03:57 PM
Georgian luge slider Kumaritashvili killed at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics | More than the games (http://www.morethanthegames.co.uk/luge/128862-georgian-luge-slider-kumaritashvili-killed-vancouver-2010-winter-olympics)
GEORGIAN luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili has been killed after a horrific crash during training for tomorrow's opening runs at the Winter Olympics, according to reports in Vancouver.
The 21-year-old was travelling at an estimated 150 km/h per hour when he flew off the track, crashing head first against a metal pole.
Medics were immediately on the scene and performed CPR before and ambulance arrived. An air-rescue helicopter was summoned and was over the track approximately eight minutes after the crash.
Kumaritashvili's death has been confirmed by International Olympic Committee vice-president Thomas Bach, as well as an official from the United States Olympic Committee.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said the tragedy cast a shadow over the Games while head of the Georgian Olympic delegation Irakly Japaridze has hinted Georgia may withdraw from Vancouver 2010.
"Our first thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the athlete," said Rogge a matter of hours before the Games officially open.
"The whole Olympic Family is struck by this tragedy which clearly casts a shadow over these Games."
The IOC said an inquiry into the circumstances of the accident was under way. Training was suspended immediately after the crash.
"We are deeply struck by this tragedy and join the IOC in extending our condolences to the family, friends and team mates of this athletes, who came to Vancouver to follow his Olympic dream," Vanoc chief John Furlong said in a joint statement with the IOC and the International Luge Federation.
Kumaritashvili was a relative newcomer to the international luge circuit and finished 55th in last year's World Cup standings.
"I've never seen anything like that," said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India. "I'm afraid it's bad."
The track at Whistler Sliding Centre is thought to be the most demanding in the world and several crashes have punctuated training.
Canada have come in for widespread criticism for restricting overseas nations to the minimum training time permitted by international governing bodies for luge, skeleton and bobsleigh.
"I think they are pushing it a little too much," said Australia's luge slider Hannah Campbell-Pegg on Thursday. "To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives."
British skeleton performance director Andi Schmid was also critical of the limited access afforded to non-Canadian competitors to the track.
"I am for sure not happy because one thing and whoever is responsible in the future whether it is the organising committee or the IOC, we need to be aware that skeleton is a high speed sport and it has some kind of danger in it and if something happens that is not what I want," he said.
Double gold medallist, Italy's Armin Zoeggler, also took a spill after rounding the treacherous corner 11.
He slid for over 200 metres while holding his sled with one hand to prevent being hit with it, although he later returned to the track for another attempt - underlining his favourites status by posting the quickest training time.
Romanian women's slider Violeta Stramaturaru was hospitalised earlier this week after being knocked unconscious following a crash.
International Luge Federation president Josef Fendt said: "This is a terrible accident.
"This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the ‘luge family', are naturally with those touched by this event."
This is the first fatality during the Winter Olympics since Nicholas Bochatay, a swiss speed skier, was killed when he crashed into a tractor-like machine in Albertville in 1992.
That was the second time that a skier was killed in a collision with a snow-clearing machine at the Winter Olympics. In 1988 at Calgary, Alberta, the orthopedist and chief physician for the Austrian team, Jorg Oberhammer, died as he was skiing.
At Innsbruck 1964, British luger Kazimierz Skrzypecki was killed after a crash that saw him suffer ruptured aorta and fractures of the skull, arm and pelvis.
Skrzypecki died 27 hours after his crash - the first fatality in the history of the Winter Olympics.
At the same Games in Innsbruck, there was another fatality during practicing for the men's downhill when Australian skier Ross Milne, 19, missed a turn on the icy slopes and crashed into a tree at 50mph.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-02/52189837.jpg
GEORGIAN luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili has been killed after a horrific crash during training for tomorrow's opening runs at the Winter Olympics, according to reports in Vancouver.
The 21-year-old was travelling at an estimated 150 km/h per hour when he flew off the track, crashing head first against a metal pole.
Medics were immediately on the scene and performed CPR before and ambulance arrived. An air-rescue helicopter was summoned and was over the track approximately eight minutes after the crash.
Kumaritashvili's death has been confirmed by International Olympic Committee vice-president Thomas Bach, as well as an official from the United States Olympic Committee.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said the tragedy cast a shadow over the Games while head of the Georgian Olympic delegation Irakly Japaridze has hinted Georgia may withdraw from Vancouver 2010.
"Our first thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the athlete," said Rogge a matter of hours before the Games officially open.
"The whole Olympic Family is struck by this tragedy which clearly casts a shadow over these Games."
The IOC said an inquiry into the circumstances of the accident was under way. Training was suspended immediately after the crash.
"We are deeply struck by this tragedy and join the IOC in extending our condolences to the family, friends and team mates of this athletes, who came to Vancouver to follow his Olympic dream," Vanoc chief John Furlong said in a joint statement with the IOC and the International Luge Federation.
Kumaritashvili was a relative newcomer to the international luge circuit and finished 55th in last year's World Cup standings.
"I've never seen anything like that," said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India. "I'm afraid it's bad."
The track at Whistler Sliding Centre is thought to be the most demanding in the world and several crashes have punctuated training.
Canada have come in for widespread criticism for restricting overseas nations to the minimum training time permitted by international governing bodies for luge, skeleton and bobsleigh.
"I think they are pushing it a little too much," said Australia's luge slider Hannah Campbell-Pegg on Thursday. "To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives."
British skeleton performance director Andi Schmid was also critical of the limited access afforded to non-Canadian competitors to the track.
"I am for sure not happy because one thing and whoever is responsible in the future whether it is the organising committee or the IOC, we need to be aware that skeleton is a high speed sport and it has some kind of danger in it and if something happens that is not what I want," he said.
Double gold medallist, Italy's Armin Zoeggler, also took a spill after rounding the treacherous corner 11.
He slid for over 200 metres while holding his sled with one hand to prevent being hit with it, although he later returned to the track for another attempt - underlining his favourites status by posting the quickest training time.
Romanian women's slider Violeta Stramaturaru was hospitalised earlier this week after being knocked unconscious following a crash.
International Luge Federation president Josef Fendt said: "This is a terrible accident.
"This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the ‘luge family', are naturally with those touched by this event."
This is the first fatality during the Winter Olympics since Nicholas Bochatay, a swiss speed skier, was killed when he crashed into a tractor-like machine in Albertville in 1992.
That was the second time that a skier was killed in a collision with a snow-clearing machine at the Winter Olympics. In 1988 at Calgary, Alberta, the orthopedist and chief physician for the Austrian team, Jorg Oberhammer, died as he was skiing.
At Innsbruck 1964, British luger Kazimierz Skrzypecki was killed after a crash that saw him suffer ruptured aorta and fractures of the skull, arm and pelvis.
Skrzypecki died 27 hours after his crash - the first fatality in the history of the Winter Olympics.
At the same Games in Innsbruck, there was another fatality during practicing for the men's downhill when Australian skier Ross Milne, 19, missed a turn on the icy slopes and crashed into a tree at 50mph.
http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-02/52189837.jpg