The Death of Nodar Kumaritashvili
During a training run prior to the 2010 Games, Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed when he was thrown from his sled and hit a pillar. The Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee (VANOC) put the blame on Kumaritashvili. However, for more than a year leading up to the Olympics, many athletes had complained that the track was too fast. One of the members of VANOC and the President of the International Luge Federation had even expressed concerns that the track was too dangerous. Kumaritashvili’s family was given a $150,000 insurance payout.