Georgian luger dies during Olympic practice

Tragedy stuck Olympic practice today as Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died following an accident.

Reports indicate that the 21-year-old lost control of his sled, flipped over the track wall, and crashed into a steel pole located next to the track. Reports further indicate that he was clocked at 144.3 km/h heading into the final 270-degree turn of the run when he crashed.

Emergency medical personal administered CPR before Kumaritashvili was airlifted to a local hospital but doctors were unable to revive him.

Kumaritashvili was ranked 44th in the world.

With more than a dozen lugers having crashed along the course during training, the safety of the Vancouver luge track has been in question. Experts consider the course to be the fastest in the world.

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