Our Voice

Republic of Georgia luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, died in a Winter Olympics practice run at the Whistler track in Vancouver, British Columbia, this past Monday. The track remained open after his death without direct investigation of the incident, causing many lugers to be hesitant about the competition.

On Kumaritashvili’s first run on the track, he told his father he “was terrified of the course,” and due to the unforeseen circumstances and minor oversights in safety precautions, such as padding on the poles, Kumaritashvili’s fears were confirmed.

Kumaritashvili died tragically from a head injury after be catapulted from the track into a steel pole. The International Olympic Committee held a press conference stating that while the death of Kumaritashvili was upsetting, the competition would still go on.

Many athletes at the games were nervous, seeing themselves as crash-test dummies rather than Olympic competitors. Modifications were made while the track closed for a day and memorials were held for Kumaritashvili, but the incident raises questions about safety at the Olympics.

Kumaritashvili crashed while traveling about 90 miles per hour on the fastest track in the world and considering the technological advances that have taken place within the sport, some are wondering if luging is safe. According to a study done by The American Journal of Sports Medicine, luge is relatively safe compared to other sports. The study analyzed 57,244 runs by competitive men and women ages 12 to 35 and only recorded 407 injuries, most of which were not serious enough for medical attention.

If luge is relatively safe, then what went wrong? Kurmaritashvili was sent back to his home country where a memorial was held for him, but now many in the sport wait to see what, if anything, will be done to improve safety.

While actions were taken to shorten the course for lugers to reduce speeds, the skeleton and bobsled competitions will have no such precautions. Skeletons and bobsleds are slower and possibly safer than luging with average speeds between 80-85 miles per hour. The Whistler track is known as the fastest track in the world, but many Olympians still appear determined to conquer the track.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 19 2010. Filed under Our Voice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry