Is the Whistler Olympic luge track too dangerous?

Is the Whistler Olympic luge track too dangerous? Friday, Nodar Kumaritashvili, men’s Olympic luge slider crashed his sled during a luge ride Friday morning and crashed into a pole. Kumaritashvili was training at the Whistler Sliding Center of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, which is located approximately 70 miles to the north of Vancouver.

Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled and he flew up over the wall of the track and into a pole. CPR was performed immediately after the crash, and Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead a short time later.

On Thursday and Friday, three crashes occurred on the luge track by Olympic athletes.

Violeta Stramaturaru from Romania was also injured during a training session at the Whistler training location. She hit several walls before being knocked unconscious. Stramaturaru was taken to an onsite medical facility and her injuries were not thought to be serious. After the accident, Stramaturaru was able to get up and walk with a slight limp to get her sled.

The crashes on the luge track over the past few days have raised questions about if the track is too dangerous. The Olympic luge track was closed immediately after the accident and an investigation is underway. 

"There were some questions asked by other athletes even before this tragic accident," said Nikolas Rurua, Georgia's deputy minister for culture and sports. "But at this moment it would be premature for me to jump to any conclusions," CNN reported.

Rurua urged a complete examination of the track "to prevent devastating events in the future."

Sliders approach speeds of 90 mph, and on Friday Kumaritashvili was recorded as going 88 mph right before his crash. The Whistler track is considered to be the fastest track in the world, and many were expecting to break world records and hit 100 mph on that track during the 2010 Olympic Games. That can be 15-20 mph more than any other luge track in the world.

To see graphic video of the crash, click here.

Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Games begin Friday in Vancouver. 17,000 people are expected a day in Vancouver and the games will last seventeen days. Whistler’s construction was completed for Olympic Games two years ago and the athletes have had those two years to get ready for the games.

The 2002 Olympic Games were held in Salt Lake City, Utah. People came from around the world to see the games and it was the single largest event that Salt Lake City has ever hosted.

For a complete schedule of the 2010 Olympic Games that will be shown on NBC, click here.

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Source: CNN

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