Fast and frightening, yes. Responsible for the death of a luger, no.
Olympic officials decided late Friday night against any major changes in the track or any delays in competition and even doubled up on the schedule in the wake of the horrifying accident that claimed the life of a 21-year-old luger from the republic of Georgia.
They said they would raise the wall where the slider flew off the track and make an unspecified “change in the ice profile” — but only as a preventative measure “to avoid that such an extremely exceptional accident could occur again.”
On Saturday, officials delayed the reopening of the track. The sixth men’s training session was supposed to resume at 8 a.m. but has been pushed back. And the men will start their runs from the women’s start, which is further down the track. By adjusting the start, men’s sliders will not be able to reach their top speeds, which have been recorded at over 95 mph this week.
Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old slider from the republic of Georgia, died Friday after he crashed in the final curve. He was traveling at nearly 90 mph when he slammed into an unpadded steel support pole.
Officials also have modified the final curve where he crashed and erected a wooden wall over the steel beams. Within sight of the finish line, Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed coming out of the 16th turn and slammed into an unpadded steel pole while traveling nearly 90 mph. Despite frantic attempts by paramedics to save his life, he died at a trauma center.
