IOC chief praises Games, says no forgetting luge death

VANCOUVER - The Vancouver Olympics will always be remembered for the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili but the Games have been “absolutely brilliant” during the first week, said International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge.

“The Games will always be remembered for the tragic death. We do not forget but this does not take away the very good effort done by the organising committee,” Rogge told DPA Saturday.

The death of Kumaritashvili in a training accident at Whistler February 12, the day of the opening ceremony of the Games, was “of course something we will always remember,” he said.

The Games had experienced “small difficulties at the beginning, nothing substantial” and the weather was “a bit difficult the first weekend.”

But from the beginning of this week the Games had been “absolutely brilliant - first class sport, warm supportive crowds, the city is a party all night and very high ratings worldwide on television,” Rogge said.

“We can be happy. If the second week is like the first one it will be very, very good Games.”

So far the Games have passed off without any doping scandals but Rogge said he would make a final comment at their conclusion.

He pointed out that doping samples were being frozen for eight years and that there was always the possibility of retesting samples.

“If new tests come out we will retest - so for me the final judgement on the Beijing Games will be 2016 and the final judgement on the Vancouver Games will be 2018 - but today there is nothing,” he said.

The IOC has said it hopes to carry out some 2,000 tests during the Games in what is the most comprehensive testing procedure in winter Olympics history.