Tragedy strikes the Olympics

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee · Feb 14, 2010

It's a shame. That said, I feel like the Canadians have done a great job overall.

Tuckerfan · Feb 20, 2010

I've got a feeling there's going to be a lot of lawsuits filed in Canada very shortly.

Accusations that Canadian and international luge officials had been warned about the unsafe nature of the Whistler Sliding Centre three months ago by an experienced competitor have prompted officials to establish a broader investigation into the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili.

Designers of the track have also revealed that its location, in a valley near to the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, was too narrow and steep, but it was put there for commercial reasons.

Earlier proposals to build the 104 million Canadian dollar centre on Grouse mountain, nearer to Vancouver, were rejected early in the bid phase because of a reluctance from the international federations who oversee the luge, bobsleigh and skeleton, according to Vancouver organising chief executive John Furlong.

It is understood that the location and design of the track, as well as the written evidence of Venezuelan luger Werner Hoeger, will be considered as evidence by the British Columbia coroner's office which is preparing a report.

The coroner’s office stated that the investigation could last for two months. Once complete there will be a legal review and a decision will be made on whether to hold a formal inquest to determine if there is criminal culpability.

Hoeger, a two-time Olympian, had crashed high on the Whistler track on Nov 13, suffering severe concussion. Afterwards he sent emails to Canadian and international luge officials warning of the dangers of the track and complaining about the lack of access for practice runs.

Canadian officials had restricted practice for foreign teams to the bare minimum required under international standards, ostensibly to allow the Canadians a hometown advantage. Hoeger said the officials put up a barricade near his crash spot after his complaints, but accused them of not being careful enough.

The track designer, Udo Gurgel, told Canadian newspapers the speed of the track – up to 154km/h – was an acceptable trade-off.

"It wasn't desired or demanded that the track be as fast as it is," Gurgel said from his Leipzig lab. "The track had to be near Whistler, for use after the Winter Olympics. You don't want to ruin an investment so the track is on terrain that's a little steep."

On Friday the International Luge Federation promised to "properly review the events and determine how best to move forward'' and make public its conclusions by the end of next month.

Georgian officials are angry that officials continue to blame Kumaritashvili and have foreshadowed legal action following the luger's funeral on Saturday.

Georgia Olympic Committee chief executive Giorgi Natsvlishvili said safety standards were not observed. "No matter what the speed, the sportsman should never have left the track," he said.

However the International Olympic Committee and Vancouver organisers maintain that the track was safe and the changes to the luge start, dropping it further down the track, coupled with padding on the steel posts involved in Kumaritashvili's death, were done for emotional reasons, not technical ones.
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Tragedy strikes the Olympics

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Tuckerfan BMF

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Tragedy strikes the Olympics

Scott Hamilton Robert E Ron Paul Lee Straight Awesome

Tuckerfan BMF

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