Those who traveled to the Vancouver Winter Olympics this week were horrified to hear that Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritsashvili died today in a horrific crash during time trials. TotalProSports.com reported that Norar came around one of the bends when his luge flung him off the track, sending him somersaulting through the air and ultimately, into a steel pillar on the other side. After repeated CPR attempts, Nodar was airlifted by helicopter off the course, and later pronounced dead. He was 21-years old and competing in his first Olympics.
The last time an athlete died during the course of the games was in 1964 when both an Australian skier and a British luger were involved in fatal accidents. We wish the rest of the athletes a safe competition and our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Mr. Kumaritsashvili with this tragic death at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
