Athletes mourn Georgian slider Kumaritashvili

WHISTLER - The world’s leading athletes poured out their hearts in mourning over the death of Georgian Olympic luger Nodar Kumaritashvili Friday, with the popular social networks providing a major forum.

“I just found out about the Georgian luger who died today, my heart goes out to his family and friends. It is a sad day for all of us,” said American ski queen Lindsey Vonn via Twitter and Facebook.

The US Olympic team sent a message via the same channels: “Our hearts go out to the family of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who was killed in an accident during a training run at Whistler today.”

Kumaritashvili’s name was among the most searched on Twitter and videos of his fatal crash appeared quickly on the YouTube portal.

Dutch speed skater Simon Kuipers simply tweeted “RIP” while bobsleigh world champion Steven Holcomb of the US said: “My thoughts and prayers are with the Georgian Olympic team. The sliding community suffered a tragic and devastating loss to our family today.”

Others used traditional forms such as interviews, websites and press conferences to express their feelings.

“I am shocked. This is difficult to deal with,” said three-time Olympic luge champion Georg Hackl of Germany.

Outside the athletic community, a US sportswriter echoed the concerns expressed about the Vancouver track and its dangerous speed by other luge competitors like world supremo Josef Fendt.

“The continual addition of daredevil extreme sports to the Olympic programme, combined with technological and physical advancements that push the limits of speed in more traditional winter pursuits, have made the Winter Games an increasingly high-flying circus of terrifying rides, uncontrolled speeds and, in some cases, pure danger,” wrote Amy Shipley in the Washington Post’s Saturday coverage from Vancouver.

She also noted other increased risks for athletes, such as the redesigned halfpipes that have increased from 18 to 22 feet (6 to 7.3 metres.)

Australia’s luge athlete Hannah Campbell-Pegg, who nearly lost control in training on Thursday, told the New York Times after her mishap: “I think they are pushing it a little too much … To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”