"No Single Reason" For Georgian Luger Death

The international luge federation says "no single reason" caused the death of Georgian racer Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training run at the Vancouver Olympics.

In a report released Monday by FIL, the sport's governing body says "what happened to Nodar has been an unforeseeable fatal accident."

FIL secretary general Svein Romstad says that "after an in-depth analysis we concluded that there was no single reason, but a complex series of inter-related events which led to this tragedy."

During training just hours before the opening ceremony, Kumaritashvili was out of control on the last turn at the Whistler Sliding Center, flew off his sled and struck a steel pole.

Anne Marie Mediwake caught up with Tom Harrington on the CBC News Network's "CBC News Now" program to cut through the FIL's file-speak...


A reminder: Here's video of the funeral from late February...
((HT: NoCommentTV))


The HQ would like to remind the luge federation that inexperienced drivers on a rarely-practiced on track can have consequences. But the easiest "out" is to always blame the dead... they can't refute your "findings."

That doesn't seem all that "complex..."

Here's the report, thanks to the FIL...

Georgian Luger Buried In Home Town

((HT: Reuters/Ivanishvili))

Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was buried before thousands of mourners in his hometown Saturday.

The open coffin bearing the 21-year-old ((pictured, thanks Reuters/David Mdzinarishvili)), wrapped in the red-and-white Georgian flag, was walked down streets in the town of Bakuriani. He was buried in the grounds of the local church a week after he lost control of his sled and slammed into a steel pillar at 90 miles per hour at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

Mourners, including Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili wearing his white Georgian Olympic team jacket, were present for the procession.

"He died for Georgia, he died for this sport," Kumaritashvili's distraught father David, himself a former luger, told reporters.

The International Olympic Committee has offered to help with government plans to construct a luge track in Bakuriani in honor of Kumaritashvili.

"It's very difficult for such a small country as Georgia to overcome such a tragedy," Saakashvili's wife Sandra told reporters at the funeral.

Here's video of the procession, thanks to EuroNews and NoCommentTV

Georgian Luger's Body Returns Home

((HT: Reuters))

The body of the luger killed during a practice run at the Vancouver Olympics is back in his family home in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Relatives were at an airport before dawn to meet the flag-draped coffin of Nodar Kumaritashvili.

According to wire reports, his mother threw herself on his coffin and cried: "Why have I survived you?" She became so upset she had to be held up by the arms of relatives, and an ambulance was called to help her.

The casket was taken to the family home, on a street that local authorities have renamed in the athlete's honor. Nikolas Rurua, Georgian minister of sport, has also said in Vancouver press conferences that a luge track will be named for the athlete as well.

Among the mourners during the procession was Levan Gureshidze. He grew up and trained with Kumaritashvili, but withdrew from the Olympics after Nodar's death. Gureshidze said he could not compete after the accident.

The 21-year-old will be buried Saturday at a churchyard in the village of about 1,500.

Reuters Paul Chapman has details from Kumaritashvili's home town of Bakuriani...

Everyone Ripping Everything Luge In Vancouver

((HT: GlobeSports/Blair, Maki-Waldie))

If it's not the Prime Minister of Georgia, it's the head home country luge coach...

A lot of people are less than pleased with the adjustments in the luge competition at the Whistler Center.

Canadian coach Wolfgang Staudinger is not happy about it: " I don't think the officials really know what the emotions of the athletes are because they don't see the athletes on a day to day basis," said Staudinger. "We are the ones as coaches who deal with them on a day to day basis, so if they say so maybe that's a good thought but maybe in the future they should consult with coaches and not make decisions based on their emotions."

The Georgian PM, Mikhail Saakashivili, told reporters that luge officials should have listened to the concerns of athletes about the speed of the Whistler Sliding Centre track.

Saakashivili also revealed that Nodar Kumaritashvili called his parents before his run and told them "they would be proud of him."

The country will build a luge track in his honor.

Luge Track To Reopen With Raised Wall

((HT: Vancouver Sun/Jeff Lee))

The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee released a statement saying both the British Columbia Coroners Service and FIL ((The international luge federation))officials had investigated the accident that killed Georgian luge Nodar Kumaritashvili ((pictured, thanks Peter Parks/AFP-Getty Images)). The federation concluded Kumaritashvili failed to make a correction once he entered the final curve and slammed into an unprotected steel pillar.

"It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16," the FIL said. "This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident.

"The technical officials of the FIL were able to retrace the path of the athlete and concluded there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track."

The organizing committee said that based on the FIL's report, the decision was made to reopen the track "following a raising of the walls at the exit of curve 16 and a change in the ice profile."

Training runs have resumed as of Saturday afternoon.

The "changing of the ice surface" has resulted in a shaving of the ice itself and a modified exit of Turn 15. A 12-foot wooden fence has been placed in front of the steel girders at Turn 16.

The start of the competition will be moved further down the track from the old starting line position. The women's start ramp will be the beginning of the men's races and training.

BREAKING NEWS: Georgian Luger Dies After Vancouver Crash

A men's Olympic luger from the former Soviet republic of Georgia has crashed during training and has died as a result from those injuries. Officials said Nodar Kumaritashvili ((pictured, on a Vancouver training run, thanks Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)) lost control of his sled earlier Friday, went over the wall of the track and appeared to hit a pole at the Whistler Sliding Center.

Rescue officials rushed to the scene and were performing chest compressions. Kumaritashvili was lifted into an ambulance. An air-rescue helicopter was summoned and was in the area over the track about eight minutes after the crash.

Wire services announced the death shortly after 3:00 this afternoon eastern time.

CTV's Olympics website, CTVolympics.ca, had reported Kumaritashvili running his sled at 144.3 km/h ((almost 90 mph)) before he hit one side of the wall, crashed into the other, was thrown off his sled and over the wall.

He, apparently, hit a metal pole on the side of the track after he flew over the wall.

The track is drawing concerns from athletes: "I think they are pushing it a little too much," Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said 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."

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge addressed the assembled media Friday afternoon and said the IOC is "in deep mourning." Vancouver organizing chief John Furlong said, "We are heartbroken beyond words." Rogge said he spoke with the president of the Republic of Georgia to express his sympathy.

Rogge said, at the time, the Georgian delegation has not decided whether to remain in the competition. The delegation marched in Friday's opening ceremonies, but did not remain in BC Place after their procession.

They have decided to compete...