Death on the Luge Track

The Olympics have yet to open but there will be one fewer member of the Georgia team marching in tonight's opening ceremonies:

A men's luger from the country of Georgia died Friday after a crash during training, an Olympic official with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The death cast a shocking pall over the Olympics hours before the Vancouver Games were to open.

The official told The Associated Press that the International Olympic Committee received confirmation of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the 21-year-old luger's family hadn't been notified yet.

An official statement is to be released soon.

Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center.

Rescue workers were at his side within seconds, chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation started less than one minute after the crash, and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center in Whistler.

That's going to make for a sad start to the Games.

UPDATE from the NY Times:

A luge athlete from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed in a crash during training on the Olympic track at the Whistler Sliding Center on Friday, Olympic officials confirmed. Olympic and luge officials immediately began an investigation of the cause on a track that some competitors have said is too fast.

Kumaritashvili, 21, lost control of his sled 48 seconds into his run, near the end of the track. According to the speed clock visible on a broadcast feed, he was going 143.3 kilometers per hour, or 88 miles an hour, and was propelled over the track wall. He slammed into a steel pole near the finish line. He was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital

There are photos at the Times link.

UPDATE: The video (not for the faint of heart):
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