Athletes gather 'with glowing hearts'
Samantha Mattell - News Editor
Issue date: 2/19/10 Section: News
The 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver began with record-breaking, tragedy and controversy.
The opening ceremony was full of both excitement and sorrow after the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The 21-year-old athlete lost control at the Whistler Sliding Centre, flying off the track and colliding with a metal pole during a practice run the morning of the opening ceremony.
The accident caused argument over the dangerous nature of the Whistler track. Athletes, including Kumaritashvili, reached speeds up to 90 mph in practice runs.
During the International Olympic Committee press conference, Sven Romstad, Security General of the International Luge Federation, suggested that the decision to move the men's starting point down to the women's starting point was more to appease, rather than to ensure safety.
"If you look at the men's top speed vs. the women's top speed, it's only a difference of 10 kph, so it's not a very necessarily significant speed," Romstad said. "This is, I think, emotionally the right decision."
However, in an interview with the American Free Press, Venue Manager Tim Gayda insisted that while they did everything possible to make the track safe, the changes made to the track will help to prevent future accidents.
"If an athlete leaves the track, hay bales or whatever are not going to be sufficient," Gayda said. "The measures that have been taken are to keep the athlete on the track."
Despite the grave opening of the games, there is much to celebrate for several countries whose athletes broke records early in the competition.
U.S. speed skater Apolo Ohno tied the record for most medals won by an American in the Winter Olympics. Ohno won his sixth Olympic medal, silver, in the 1500m short track event.
The Canadian women's hockey team defeated Slovakia in a record-breaking 18-0 game in their first day of competition. This, along with the U.S.' 13-0 win over Russia caused critique of the sport's lack of a mercy rule.
The opening ceremony was full of both excitement and sorrow after the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The 21-year-old athlete lost control at the Whistler Sliding Centre, flying off the track and colliding with a metal pole during a practice run the morning of the opening ceremony.
The accident caused argument over the dangerous nature of the Whistler track. Athletes, including Kumaritashvili, reached speeds up to 90 mph in practice runs.
During the International Olympic Committee press conference, Sven Romstad, Security General of the International Luge Federation, suggested that the decision to move the men's starting point down to the women's starting point was more to appease, rather than to ensure safety.
"If you look at the men's top speed vs. the women's top speed, it's only a difference of 10 kph, so it's not a very necessarily significant speed," Romstad said. "This is, I think, emotionally the right decision."
However, in an interview with the American Free Press, Venue Manager Tim Gayda insisted that while they did everything possible to make the track safe, the changes made to the track will help to prevent future accidents.
"If an athlete leaves the track, hay bales or whatever are not going to be sufficient," Gayda said. "The measures that have been taken are to keep the athlete on the track."
Despite the grave opening of the games, there is much to celebrate for several countries whose athletes broke records early in the competition.
U.S. speed skater Apolo Ohno tied the record for most medals won by an American in the Winter Olympics. Ohno won his sixth Olympic medal, silver, in the 1500m short track event.
The Canadian women's hockey team defeated Slovakia in a record-breaking 18-0 game in their first day of competition. This, along with the U.S.' 13-0 win over Russia caused critique of the sport's lack of a mercy rule.
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