Vancouver unveils memorial bench in name of deceased Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili
Immediately after Kumaritashvili’s crash, changes were made to the Vancouver Olympic luge track.The FIL made the start of the track lower however explained this change was made to reduce emotional difficulty for the athletes. Following the tragic accident, the luge competition continued on schedule. Meanwhile before Kumaritashvili’s crash, a number of other athletes had also crashed on the luge course. Photo: 1TV.ge.
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A memorial bench has been unveiled in Vancouver’s Stanley Park to honour the memory of Georgian luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died in a tragic incident at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Nodar Kumaritashvili – young Georgian Olympian who fatally crashed on the opening day of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Your legacy is alive”, reads the inscription on the commemorative memorial bench.
- Nodar Kumaritashvili, athlete who changed the luge sliding sport forever
- Nodar Kumaritashvili, Georgian luger that changed this sport forever
Kumaritashvili was just 21 years old when he died.
The young athlete was on his final official training run when he lost control at high speed and crashed into a steel pole at 143.3 km per hour.
In order to introduce Kumaritashvili's name to the Canadian people, the Georgian Embassy to Canada and the Georgian Diaspora of Vancouver have organised several events and projects dedicated to the memory of the Georgian luge athlete.