Georgian luger Kumaritashvili dies from crash

[Aselia]

Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luger, has died from one of the most horrible accidents imaginable just hours before the official start of the Olympics. Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over a wall, and slammed into a metal support beam. Observers said his sled was traveling nearly 90 mph.
The 21-year-old was knocked unconscious, then immediately administered CPR and air-lifted to a Whistler hospital where he died. The 2010 Games would have been Kumaritashvili's first Olympics.
Kumaritashvili's crash occurred at the fastest part of the track, which steeply declines for 152 meters, making it the world's longest luge drop. This is the third crash there in the last two days. Earlier on Friday, defending gold medalist Armin Zoeggeler of Italy lost control but suffered no injuries. On Thursday, female Romanian luger Violeta Stramaturaru crashed and was air-lifted from the track. Her injuries are not considered serious.





Source from Yahoo








This is simply horrible. I read this and just felt sick to my stomach. Just hours before what would have been the biggest and best moments of his life, and he's just... gone.. I'm slightly in shock about it honestly. It's absolutely horrific...

 

[Valvalis]

This is just awful. They really need to fix/modify the track so this doesn't keep happening.

 

[CassinoChips]

They did modify the track. They moved the starting lines down the hill so the lugers don't generate as much speed. They also changed the angle in the final turn, as well as building a new wall in front of the previously exposed metal beams.

 

[DeadFantasy]

..... This is horrible D= and it was gunna be his first Olympics too!! reading this almost makes me wanna cry... imagine crashing and dying all right before the Olympics...
-sigh-
I mean its the Olympics and everything and i'm not saying everyone isn't going to hurt because that's not the case but dying from a crash just because of the track? Not to mention he was going super fast but still! Poor man. imagine what his friends and family are going through.... He apparently could've been successful if he made it to the Olympics... he could've taken a medal home for all we know.
R.I.P. Nodar Kumaritashvili<3

 

[Talbain]

I just saw the video of the crash. I suppose that's just the risk of the game, there's no way to avoid some form of danger and remain competitive. I can only hope that future competitions will have tougher safety standards to avoid further tragedies.

 

[Linnaete]

My sympathy goes to him, his family and his close friends. It's a horrible prospect to die in such a way and in such an occasion. I knew some sports in the winter Olympics are rather dangerous - moreso than the summer counterpart - but I never really thought in this day and age someone would die during one of its events. Seeing as though health and safety are seemingly promoted around these days.

I can't imagine how much grief his family are in now. There he was about to hopefully excel in Vancouver and make a name for himself - making Georgia proud of him - and it's cruelly taken away from him like this. Whether this was due to lack of training I'm not sure. I hope the Olympics officials heed this as a powerful warning. It's not the first death in an Olympic event, but it is the first for several decades.