Death loomed large over luge
Last Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010 | 3:45 AM ET
By Brandon Hicks, CBC Sports
Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia was killed on a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre, just a few hours before the Vancouver Olympics were about to begin. (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)Germany may have owned the podium in luge at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, but the competition will always be associated with the tragic death of the Republic of Georgia's Nodar Kumaritashvili.
The 21-year-old was killed on a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre mere hours before the Games were about to begin, casting a dark cloud over the opening ceremony and raising questions over the track's safety.
Kumaritashvili was coming around the final 270-degree turn at speeds approaching 140-kilometres an hour when he flipped his sled, careened off the track and slammed into a metal support pole.
Paramedics were on the scene quickly, but Kumaritashvili died of his injuries at a trauma centre shortly after.
"This is a very sad day. The IOC is in deep mourning," International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said during a press conference announcing Kumaritashvili's death.
"Here you have a young athlete who lost his life in pursuing his passion. He had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games, he trained hard, and had this fatal accident.
"I have no words to say what we feel."
A report by the International Luge Federation and Vancouver Olympic officials said that driver error, and not the track, caused Kumaritashvili's death. But major modifications were made to it before the official competition.
Change in start
To reduce speed, the men's race was changed to begin at the women's original start point, and the women went from the junior line. And Curve 16, where Kumaritashvili lost his life, had its wall raised.
Many lugers then complained that the track changes made the course too slow, but others argued that it saved lives, noting that concerns about its speed were raised even before the Games began. And there had been complaints about lack of access for practice runs.
Athletes were back on the track only 24 hours after Kumaritashvili's death, and the story became one of German dominance in the races.
Germans Felix Loch and David Moeller dominated the men's singles competition. Loch won gold and Moeller took silver, while Armin Zoggeler of Italy won bronze.
Calgary's Sam Edney was the top Canadian, finishing seventh. Jeff Christie of Vancouver ended up in 14th place, while Ian Cockerline of Calgary was 20th.
"If we had started from the top, the race would have been totally different," said American Tony Benshoof, who finished eighth. "As soon as they moved the start down, they basically gave two medals to the Germans."
Same thing happened in the women's race. The athletes who could handle the modified start position excelled, while those who didn't faltered.
Germans prevail again
Another German was at the top of the podium in this event. Tatjana Huefner won gold for Germany, the ninth time in 13 Olympic Games that a German woman had won the event.
Fellow German Natalie Geisenberger took bronze, while Nina Reithmayer of Austria won silver.
"This was a real race," said Canadian luger Meaghan Simister, "but not a real start." Simister, from Regina, finished in 25th place. Regan Lauscher, of Red Deer, Alta., was the top Canadian in 15th and Alex Gough of Calgary finished in 18th.
In the doubles' luge competition, Austrian brothers Wolfgang and Andreas Linger won their second consecutive gold medal.
Another set of brothers, Latvia's Andris and Juris Sics, took silver. Germany picked up its fifth luge medal as Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch took bronze.
Canadian brother act Chris and Mike Moffat of Calgary were seventh, while Tristan Walker and Justin Snith, also from southern Alberta, finished 15th.
