Coroner Closes Vancouver Luge Track after Training Run Death

(ATR) The luge track for the Vancouver Olympics is shut while the British Columbia coroner investigates the crash that killed Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili during training Friday morning.

Kumaritashvili, 21, lost control of his sled and hurtled airborne into a steel pillar covering the roof of the track at Whistler.

"The facility is currently closed for the purpose of this investigation, once the coroner or other investigators determine it’s safe to reopen the track, they will do so," said Jeff Dolan, B.C. Coroner’s Service provincial director.

What that means for the start of the luge competition, scheduled to start Feb. 13 with the men’s single event, is not yet known.

International Luge Federation (FIL) Secretary General Svein Romstad tells Around the Rings he could not comment on the impact for the competition.

“We’re going to deal with the shock for now, the rest comes later,” says Romstad.

Georgia Sports Minister Nikolos Rurua says the rest of the Georgian team plans to compete in Vancouver as a show of support for Kumaritashvili.

“Our sportsmen and our athletes decided to be loyal to the spirit of Olympic Games and dedicate their performance to their fallen comrade,” he said at a news conference.

He said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is in Vancouver, may not attend the opening ceremony.

IOC President, VANOC Chief Distraught

A press conference that was supposed to be about celebration and anticipation took a somber tone Friday after the death of

Kumaritashvili.

IOC president Jacques Rogge took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose before addressing about 300 members of the media.

“Sorry, it’s a bit difficult to remain composed,” he said. “This is a very sad day. The IOC is in deep mourning. Here you have a young athlete who lost his life in pursuing his passion, he had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games, he trained hard and he had his fatal accident.

“I have no words to say what we feel.”

Rogge said the IOC has been in contact with the National Olympic Commitee of Georgia and with the athletes’ family. He also talked to the president of the Republic of Georgia, who is attending the Games.

Rogge and John Furlong, the Vancouver 2010 CEO, wore black suits and black ties.

“Nodar Kumaritashvili came to Canada with hopes and dreams that this would be a magnificent occasion in his life,”Furlong said.

He added that members of the Georgian federation said that he was an “incredibly spirited young person.”

Kumaritashvili was ranked 44th in the world and was competing at his first Olympics.

The press conference was supposed to discuss the ending of the 122nd IOC Session and the excitement surrounding the end of the torch relay and the Opening Ceremony on Friday evening.

“We are heartbroken beyond words to be sitting here,” Furlong said. “This is not something I prepared for or thought I would need to be prepared for. My team has been devastated by this.”

Rogge said he wasn’t ready to deliberate whether the track was too fast to keep the athletes safe. “I’m sorry, this is a time for sorrow,” he said. “This is not a time to look for reasons. That will come in due time.”

Kumaritashvili is the fourth winter Olympic athlete to die at the Games since 1964.

Written by Ed Hula and Karen Rosen.