As a consequence of the training accident that killed Nodar Kumaritashvili on 12 February 2010 officials moved the start of the men's singles competition to the women's/doubles start to reduce the speed of the racers.[7] This change was met with mixed reviews, with some participants saying that the change made them feel safer, while others complained that it gave an advantage to stronger starters.
Men's singles luge at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada was held at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Whistler, British Columbia. The track was constructed between 2005 and 2008, and became the 15th competition-level track in the world. It was certified for competition in sliding sports by the International Luge Federation (FIL) and the International Bobsleigh and Tobogganing Federation (FIBT) in March 2008 in a process called homologation where hundreds of athletes ran the track. This was the first time many competitors at the 2010 Games were able to try the track and begin to develop strategies for it. Canadian athletes hoped that having it open two years before the Games, and having that amount of time to train on it, would give them an advantage in the Games. The Whistler Sliding Centre quickly gained a reputation as among the fastest tracks in the world.[8]
Rules and description of competition
Rules for Olympic luge competitions are set by the International Luge Federation (FIL) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They entrust 5 officials with making decisions about whether competition rules have been followed: a technical delegate, three jury members from different countries, and an international judge. These decisions are implemented and enforced by a race director, to whom the overall responsibility for running the competition is given, but who is assisted by a start leader who coordinates the starting area, a finish leader who coordinates the finish area, and a Chief of Track who is in charge of track maintenance. Under the rules, competitors were guaranteed a minimum of five official training runs in the days prior to the competition. The competition itself consists of four runs. Athletes begin their runs on their sleds at a starting block, use their hands to push themselves off in the starting area, and then on their backs on the sleds through the remainder of the course. Athletes are ranked by the speed of their times measured between their start and the finish line at the bottom of the track.[9]
Preview
In a 2 February 2010 interview with the International Luge Federation, Italy's Zöggeler predicted that Russia's Albert Demtschenko, the defending Olympic silver medalist[4] and the European champion,[10] would win the event, with the other medalists being Germany's Loch and Möller.[11] In the final results, Zöggeler edged out Demtschenko for third place.
Records
While the IOC does not consider luge times eligible for Olympic records, the International Luge Federation (FIL) does maintain records for both the start and a complete run at each track it competes.
These records were set during the test event from the men's start house for the 2010 Games on 21 February 2009.
During training on 12 February 2010, Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili was going at over 143 km/h (89 mph) when he crashed in the last turn and hit a steel pole. He was administered CPR at the track, then taken away to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Training was immediately stopped.[12] As a result, the start of the men's single competition was moved to the women's/doubles' start to reduce speed and the wall at corner where Kumaritashvili crashed was raised.[7]
Investigations conducted the same day concluded that the accident was not caused by deficiencies in the track. As a preventative measure, the walls at the exit of curve 16 were to be raised and a change in the ice profile would be made.[13] A joint statement was issued by the FIL, the International Olympic Committee, and the Vancouver Organizing Committee over Kurmaitasvili's death with training suspended for the rest of that day.[14] According to the Coroners Service of British Columbia and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the cause was to Kumaritashvili coming out of turn 15 late and not compensating for turn 16.[15] Because of this fatality, an extra 40 yd (37 m) of wall was added after the end of Turn 16 and the ice profile was changed.[15] It also moved the men's singles luge event from its starthouse to the one for both the women's singles and men's doubles event.[16] Kumaritashvili is the first Olympic athlete to die at the Winter Olympics in training since the death of Nicolas Bochatay during a speed skiing practice at the 1992 Winter Olympics[16] and the first luger to die in a practice event at the Winter Olympics since Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski of Great Britain was killed at the luge track used for the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.[17] It was also luge's first fatality (on an artificial track[18]) since 10 December 1975, when an Italian luger was killed.[19] Kumaritavili's teammate Levan Gureshidze withdrew prior to the first run of the event.[18]
The women's singles and men's doubles start was moved to the Junior start house of the track, located after turn 5.[20] Germany's Natalie Geisenberger complained that it was not a women's start but more of a kinder ("child" in German) start. Her teammate Tatjana Hüfner who had the fastest speed on two runs of 82.3 mph (132.4 km/h) stated that the new start position "..does not help good starters like myself".[20] American Erin Hamlin stated the track was still demanding even after the distance was lessened from 1,193 to 953 m (3,914 to 3,127 ft) and that athletes were still hitting 80 mph (130 km/h).[20]
Despite the changes, and celebrations by the victorious athletes, Kumaritashvili's death overshadowed the race. Some athletes who participated in the competition said they were scared during their runs, and welcomed the track changes. Others criticized the changes as having given an advantage to stronger starters like the German participants, as opposed to weaker starters who would have benefited from having a longer course.[21] Argentina's Ruben Gonzalez said, "God blessed the Germans today."[21]
On 23 March 2010, FIL President Fendt, VANOC President John Furlong, 2010 men's singles gold medalist Felix Loch of Germany visited Kumaritashvili's grave in his hometown of Bakuriani to pay respects as part of tradition in the Georgian Orthodox Church.[22]
The FIL published their reports in regards to Kumaritashvili's death on 12 April 2010 following the FIL Commissions Meeting in St. Leonhard, Austria (near Salzburg) for both sport and technical commissions on 9–11 April 2010.[23] This report was prepared by Romstad and Claire DelNegro, Vice-President Sport Artificial Track, who is from the United States.[23]
Qualifying athletes
Forty athletes qualified for the men's singles event as of 4 February 2010.[24]
The first two runs took place on 13 February 2010 at 17:00 PST and 19:00 PST.[1] On 14 February 2010, the final two runs took place at 13:00 PST and 15:00 PST.[1][25]
Time listed at top in italics is start time while time below is the track time. SR - Start Record. TR - Track Record. Top finishes in both times are in boldface.
Loch ended Zöggeler's two straight championships with the fastest times in each of the four runs to become the youngest Olympic champion ever in luge.[21] Zöggeler's fifth medal in this event matched that of Georg Hackl, now a coach on the German team, who won three golds and two silvers between 1988 and 2002. The winning margin of victory was the second largest in this event in Winter Olympics history with Paul Hildgartner of Italy's win over Sergey Danilin of the then-Soviet Union at the 1984 Games being larger (0.704 seconds)[26]
^"Luge (Toboggan): Men". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. (2009). David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, Editor. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 158.
^"Luge (Toboggan): Men". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. (2009). David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, Editor. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 159.
