In the wake of Friday’s horrifying luge crash that claimed the life of 21-year-old Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili, members of the International Luge Federation were briefed on the matter and training was suspended at the Whistler Sliding Center in Vancouver, according to the New York Daily News.
After Deadly Luge Crash, Training Suspended At Winter Olympics
ESPN reported that officials from the Vancouver Olympic Committee pledged to carry out an investigation to “ensure a safe field of play” for the games.
Kumaritashvili’s tragic accident is only the last in the past few days at Whistler, which was hyped as having the fastest luge track in the world. Gold medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy was among those who wiped out, along with a Romanian woman who was knocked unconscious and four Americans.
Australia’s Hannah Campbell-Pegg had this to say after she nearly crashed on Thursday night:
I think they are pushing it a little too much. To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.
Unfortunately, Campell-Pegg played the role of Cassandra in this tragedy. Indeed, her comments show how obviously dangerous this track was to any and all observers, and how easily preventable today’s events were.
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