Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, a luger from the country of Georgia, died today after flipping his sled and smashing into a steel pole during his final training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre, where bobsleigh and skeleton also take place.
Athletes at the Whistler track, on average, go 15 miles per hour faster than at other tracks, and the vertical drop is 28 meters steeper than most other venues. These numbers have caused some athletes to question the track’s safety.
As of now, the luge competition is scheduled to continue as planned and begin Saturday, but the final decision rests with the International Olympic Committee.
The opening ceremonies for the 21st Olympic Winter Games start at 8 p.m. tonight on NBC.
*Information taken from a BBC News article. Read it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/luge/8513595.stm
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment