Luge to go ahead after death

[DJM83]

Luge to go ahead after death
Updated: 07:17, Sunday February 14, 2010

The start of the men's Olympic luge competition has been moved farther down the track.

International luge officials say the decision was made primarily with the emotional component in mind following the death of a Georgian competitor.

The same officials reiterated that the lightning-fast track is safe enough for competition.

An extra session of men's training, as well as all four runs of the men's event - two on Saturday, two on Sunday will begin from the women's start ramp.

It means speeds, at least for the men, will be a bit lower at the Whistler Sliding Track, where 21-year-old Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed and died in a training run on Friday.

The decision to change the start's location seemed to have the desired effect.

None of the 36 sliders who took a sixth practice run broke 145 kph (90 mph) after speeds surpassed 153 kph (95 mph) earlier in the week.

Other changes were made overnight, including raising the wall at Curve 16, the area where Kumaritasvili crashed, and some modifications to the surface of the ice itself.

When training resumed from the lower start, American luger Tony Benshoof the first man to slide in the session navigated the track without incident.

Such a shame for this to happen, you wouldnt think going to represent your country thinking your going to die
RIP

[Rodp]

The Winter Olympics seems to have events that are considerably more riskier for serious and life threatening injury than the summer Olympics.

While I'm not up on luge and bobsled other than when it's on the Olympics, it did seem a real bad idea to have pylons so close to the track and the first time I've ever seen it.

[Adamz Ghia]

I just tried to slap that bug under your username off my screen... :O

It has been said this is the fastest course ever built, makes me wonder when they will reach the limit...

[TUF_302]

All i can say about the competitors in this sport is that they are nuts!!

[Melz]

We all take risks in life for the things we enjoy.... Hindsight is a wondrous thing but its not going to bring back his life

[Spudz27]

Very sad incident but it is a dangerous sport after all.
That being said I am not sure making the men start from the womens start (3 turns further down the track) was a good move. This was a tragic accident, these guys come off all the time. Luge, Skeleton, Bobsled are my favourite events to watch.