More experience because 'non-Canadians' were given limited access to the course. A move that looks slightly petty after an inexperienced slider was killed. Of course it's also possible he would have killed himself months ago if he had been given access earlier. Who knows?

As mentioned, it's all relative. He had run the course, twenty six times to be exact, so he didn't kill himself on those runs. He had experience on the course, just not as much as some others. The course shouldn't be so fast that it cost you your life if you make a mistake. This is not a death sport.

"An investigation by the International Luge Federation found "no indication the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track."

The group's secretary general, Sven Romstad, said that Kumaritshvili was a "good athlete" with 26 runs on the track at the Whistler Sliding Center, but also said he had entered the final turn late and lost control."

The crash occurred on the outrun of a turn named Thunderbird, which surprised former Canadian bobsledder Chris Lori. "The area where the accident occurred on this track is not considered to be that dangerous, so I don't think any of the maintenance or design is an issue in this incident, in my view," said Mr. Lori, who survived a horrific crash in Italy in 1987. "There are tracks that are far more dangerous than this track and there are other tracks with dangerous sections to them."

Luge News - 2010 Winter Olympics - CTV Olympics

one man's opinion but in all fairness I think he might be a little more comfortable with risk. The quote below was from December before the death.

Never one to mince words, Lori was quick to take to task today's crop of bobsleigh athletes, feeling their complaints that the Olympic course at the Whistler Sliding Centre was too challenging and too dangerous were frivolous and ignorant toward a key component of the sport.


Lori, who finished fourth in the four-man event at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, is unhappy that the FIBT (Federation Internationale de Bobsleigh et de Tobogganing) softened some of the turns on the course after safety concerns were raised by competing sledders.


"They've taken away some of the psychological element of the sport," Lori said. "There has to be the potential for harm. Otherwise, it just isn't bobsleigh.


"You don't want to see anyone seriously hurt, but you don't want to turn it into a waterslide, either."

Where are they now? Chris Lori still fired up about bobsleigh

I think risk is inherant with any sport like this. There are things that can be done to make this safer and I think those safety elements should be (and have) been introduced. The slider leaving the track is something that hasnt happened before and obvioulsly wasnt accounted for. I think it was a freak accident.

Adjusted it.

Apparently the ice conditions make a BIG difference to the course. As does trying to set speed records once you have 'a degree of comfort' with it.

The fact remains that 'outsiders' were given limited access to the course. And one of them is dead. It is entirely possible that had he had 200 or more runs prior to this he might still be alive. I simply don't know. But I suspect a lot of people are wondering the same thing.

Still on the flip-side it draws attention from the UK teams dismal efforts so far

You aren't a cold weather country. You just think you are.

Not at all true.

EVERY luge entry, regardless of nationality, was given access for one week prior to the games for practice in addition to the "official" practice times.

This particular competitor did not take advantage of the opportunity.

But yes, Canadians had more access, as does any host-country in that situation.

Are you saying the fellow who died had not run the course?

In what way were the other teams limited to the track? Did the say you can't run today? they are only limited because they can't travel and stay there for weeks at a time beforehand. The canadians have an advantage because it's in their back yard! Just like any guy driving a track near his house is more familiar with it than some guy who comes from across the country and drives it a few practice laps before the race.

Just so

I think to a large extent, the limited practice is a function of the weather.

No. Olympic teams have reciprocal agreements that allow shared access to facilities. The Americans and Canada have had an ongoing spat over this as Canada decided not to extend their agreement after Salt Lake. At Salt Lake Canada was given 60-90 training runs. In Vancouver the Americans requested two weeks of track time. They were offered 18 runs.

Steven Colbert made a big issue over a similar lack of (American) access to the speed skating oval. Canada chose to take full advantage of their 'home turf'. I suspect it won't kill anyone on the speed-skating oval. But the luge decision is now, at a minimum, suspect. It is possible that a lack of training was a contributing factor.

Canada DID abide by the FIL minimum requirements for luge access. The deceased slider made 26 runs prior to his fatal accident. He had six training runs. He crashed on his second run, and obviously on his last.

It's not an open facility. You don't show up with a sled and go for a quick slide.

And the track was built in 2007, not last week.

I thought when the 'access' issue was first raised that Canada was being petty. That decision does not look any better now.

Okay, somewhat true. And relevant visa vis the number of crashes. It's not just the newbies that are/were crashing.

Exactly. This talk of Canadians not granting sufficient access is really silly. The track is only prepared during the season, and many teams want access—so access is allocated in accordance with various rules. This is what pissed off Colbert et al with the skating rink. The US team just wanted blanket access, and that just doesn't work.

As for the sliding center, I happen to know the Russians were on the track for much of the winter. (I live in Whistler part time and hosted the Russian sliding team for drinks at my place just before Xmas. —Long story—)

I think as this story gets examined more and more closely, it will become clear that the Georgian made a very amateurish mistake in that turn. That is what got him killed. That is what I am hearing from people who were there on the ground...

The same can happen in downhill skiing, or in auto racing or any other high risk sport. You should not be making amateurish mistakes at this level of competition.

As I said it makes a better story to blame it on the Canadians. But I'm sure the truth will out in due course.

PS: Various athletes from Germany and elsewhere are now complaining that the new shortened course has been "dumbed-down" unnecessarily. That's very telling.

Thank you, well said.