Could Georgian Athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili's Death Been Avoided?

On February 12, 2010 reaching close to 90 mph Nodar Kumaritashvili turned on the Whistler luge track at curve 16. His body was thrown from the sled like a rag doll until his body bounced off track-side and his head hit the steel support beam aligned with the track. Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, died on Friday just hours before the Winter Olympics opening ceremony after being transported to an area hospital.

Nodar Kumaritashvili's death video has raised the bar on what could have happened on Whistler's luge track. Rumors of track malfunctions surfaced while others noted it could have been, sadly, human error on Nodar Kumaritashvili's behalf. However, no matter how you slice it, or dice it, the video of Nodar Kumaritashvili was not an easy video to explore.

Should NBC have shown video of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death?

The video of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death has been pulled from You Tube during the investigation leaving millions of Internet viewers tuning into television updates in hopes that NBC would replay the luge crash.

What is the fascination? To find that one moment where it all makes sense. To situate a reason behind the accident. Was there something on the track after all? What made Nodar's body fly off of his sled only to have his sled come to a slow stop before reaching the finish line? Questions, answers, both would reach new levels each and every time the video is viewed.

After viewing the video of Nodar it is incredibly hard to conclude anything other than a high speed crash. To figure this out for yourself you can still view the video through Fox 40.

Nodar Kumaritashvili's spirit was remembered as the Winter Olympics opening ceremony honored his memory in every way the show could with a moment of silence throughout the 60,000 seat BC Place dome. But for some, the Nodar Kumaritashvili's death played endlessly in their minds.

Two investigations soon followed the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili as to what happened, how, and why. The wall needed to be higher, it was obvious at this point. Crash rates quadrupled in the last year. Whistler's luge track was not a playground for beginners.

After Nodar's death the walls were risen around the steel support beams, a little too late. Something his father should have figured from the get go, if he had been there. Nodar Kumaritashvili's father, Selix, is the head of Russia's Georgian Luge Foundation. It is not known whether his father was present at the time of his death.

Curve 16 is where Nodar crashed. The luge track has turns of concerns with a couple portions, including the 13th and 11th curve, otherwise known as the "50 50 turn" for the 50/50 chance you will crash.

But the International Luge Federation (FIL) and Vancouver Olympic officials will not claim responsibility for the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili. Should they if the track showed a lack of flaws? Should they if Nodar smacked his head into a visible steel beam? You have to ask yourself if you have seen the luge track in the 2006 Olympics. The walls appeared taller, more covered around curves when it came to steel beams if memory serves us right.

FIL president Josef Fendt warned of the track's speed that could cause future crashes according to Vancouver.

Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili shared that he did not feel as if the track builders were negligent. However, he also notes that an athlete's mistakes should not result in death.

Two factors to consider would be that Nodar was an inexperienced first timer at the Olympics, and he weighed 176 pounds which can play difficult in gravitational pull during sharp turns mixed with high speeds of close to 90 mph. Two factors that the investigation considered when wrapping up their investigation.

Two factors to also keep in mind would be that Nodar participated in 5 World Cups, he's 44th in the world, and that the team has practiced on Whistler's luge track for the past month.

Question is, should the investigation be as shut as suggested by the FIL and the Olympic officials. Or should they consider that if the track had met better safety measures, as suggested by other sliders, this death could have been avoided?

Avoiding safety measures, that's all it takes. Smells like gold in a wrongful death suit in all candor. However, that Olympic gold remains to be seen.

Source(s): Self-source, NBC Sports, Fox 40, Vancouver 2010