Slow starts mar luge

With the first two turns eliminated from tonight’s men’s singles luge in response to yesterday’s fatal accident, many competitors are complaining they’re getting off to slow starts.

Rather than begin at the top of the controversial track, at what was once called the men’s start, the men are tonight launching from the women’s, two turns down the course, the longest and arguably still the fastest in the world.

But the women’s start makes this track all about the men’s acceleration at take off, whereas it previously catapulted sliders into high speed with little effort.

It’s making for bumpy beginnings, compounded by the derth of practice runs from the ladies’ start. That has some of the men pining for the track as they knew it before yesterday.

Was it too fast then? Feelings are mixed. But no one will go so far as to call the old track unsafe. Nor are they unhappy the decision was made to proceed with competition.

Meanwhile, down below, a makeshift shrine has been assembled for Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died yesterday in a fatal training crash. No one is quite sure who is responsible.