Ensuring safety brings skepticism

By: Stephanie Trabold

On Saturday February 13, tragedy hit the Whistler Riding Centre luge area as 21 year old, Nodar Kumaritashvili from Georgia, died while practicing on the track.

Officials have claimed that while Kumaritashvili was completing the final curve of the track, he made a technical error that had caused the sled to lose control and crash at 90 miles an hour into a steel pole.

British reporter Tony Lambert provides further details.

The International Luge Federation (ILF) officials have also stated that the fatal accident had left "no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track."





As an additional safety precaution, walls have been raised higher to prevent any further tragedy.

It would be more demeaning to Nodar Kumaritashvili’s memory, and a detriment to Vancouver, British Columbia if no actions were performed after his death.

Although safety is always a high priority, several athletes had complained about the fatal final curve before Kumaritashvili’s death.

The Olympics are designed to bring about world peace and competition through sports, but could the pressure of the Olympics itself overlook its initial purpose?

Generally, a hosting country receives a bid four years in advanced to prepare for the Olympic games and is under enormous pressure to build state-of-the-art facilities to host these international athletes.

Hopefully, this will be the final fatality at the Vancouver games.