Cause of death: luger error
His death cast a shadow over the Vancouver 2010 Games. Now, a new report reveals exactly what happened in the seconds before Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died. According to the International Luge Federation, Kumaritashvili made a late exit from the 15th corner of the luge track. He then entered the next turn late and low. Kumaritashvili likely lost control of his sled at around 145 km/hr. And while he tried to keep low around the 16th corner - putting his right hand down on the ice - the "radical steering
motion" threw his sled against the wall at an "exceptional" angle, launching both sled and driver into the air. The report notably dubs the luger’s death "unforeseeable," and primarily blames driver error for his accident. Olympic officials in Vancouver have been criticized for designing a track that was too fast.
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