Coroner's Report Says "Convergence of Factors" Led to Luger Crash

(ATR) A report from the British Colombia coroner’s office says inexperience was one factor leading to the death of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili on the opening day of the Vancouver Olympics.

The report found Kumaritashvili died accidentally of multiple blunt force injuries, a death that was immediate says the report.

The 21-year-old Georgian luger was on a training run Feb. 12, the day of opening ceremony for Vancouver.

The report says doctors tried to revive him for almost an hour after his sled flew off the Whistler Sliding Centre track.

Coroner Tom Pawlowski blamed a "convergence of factors" for the accident.

The report said Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled and collided with an ice wall. He was ejected to the outside of the track where he struck an unpadded metal post. Pawlowski found no evidence that weather conditions or the raising and lowering of shades contributed to the accident. He said no foreign substances were found in the toxicological analysis.

The placement and configuration of a wooden wall was "clearly of significance," but the "most severe point of impact" was the collision with an unpadded metal post outside the track. Had the post been padded, the fatality may still have occurred, he wrote.

Pawlowski's 16-page report, dated Sept. 16 but published Oct. 4, did not judge the safety of the track, but noted that the record speed was 153.98 km-h and speeds routinely exceeded the designer’s calculations by 10 km-h.

Pawlowski recommended the Whistler 2010 Legacies Society, which took over the track from the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, undertake a safety audit. He also said the international federations that govern luge, bobsled and skeleton should conduct independent safety audits of sliding sports tracks and improve the placement and configuration of crash barriers and safety features.

"We have received the Coroner's report into the tragic death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. Our first thoughts go outto the family, with whom we have already had contact. Needless to say it difficult to rekindle details of this tragic event," Svein Romstad, secretary general of the International Luge Federation, tells Around the Rings in an email.

"The Coroner's Office has been very thorough in its work and we have reviewed its recommendations and will address them. Parts of them we have already implemented," said Romstad.

In a prepared statement, VANOC CEO John Furlong said the tragedy will lead to changes for safety on the track.

"We trust that, going forward, all those involved in all high speed and therefore high risk winter sports -- whether athletes, coaches, organizers or technical experts -- will take to heart the cumulative learnings from this tragic accident at our Games," said Furlong.

A permanent memorial to Kumaritashvili is planned by the Resort Municipality of Whistler, location of the track where the accident took place.

Written by Bob Mackin.