Olympic ceremony overshadowed

13 Feb 2010, 4:40 pm   -   Source: AFP
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A snowboarder leaps through the Olympic Rings at the Opening Ceremony. (EPA)

A snowboarder leaps through the Olympic Rings at the Opening Ceremony. (EPA)

The Winter Olympics opening ceremony has been held in Vancouver amid mourning for a Georgian Luge competitor thrown from his sled at high speed.

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The 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony got underway on Friday, on a day overshadowed by the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.
  
The two-and-a-half hour showpiece endedwith the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at BC Place in Vancouver, in a ceremony held indoors for the first time in the competition's history.
  
The show was staged in front of International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, Canadian governor general Michaelle Jean and the chiefs of the Four Host First Nations.
  
Kumaritashvili was killed after flying off the Olympic luge track at high speed and smashing into a metal pillar during a training run.

Amid the building excitement and the performances from a host of stars, the stadium stood for a minute's silence in tribute to Kumaritashvili as the Olympic and Canadian flags were lowered to half mast.
 
The Georgian delegation were all wearing black armbands.

The domed BC Place stadium in Vancouver was packed with 60,000 people clad in white in an event linking Canada's past with the modern nation, including a welcome from Native peoples.

Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said: "It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic loss of Nodar Kumaritashvili of the Georgian team who passed away this morning in a training accident on the luge track."

The International Olympic Committee president paid tribute to Canadians and urged all athletes to be aware of their responsibility as role models.

Referring to Kumaritashvili, John Furlong, chairman of the Games organising committee, VANOC, urged the athletes to "carry his Olympic dream on your shoulders and compete with his spirit in your hearts."

The three-hour show suffered an embarrassing end, however, when only three of the four columns, which were to emerge from the ground to support the temporary cauldron inside the indoor arena, rose from the ground.

Overshadowed

Georgia was earlier considering whether to pull out of the 2010 Winter Olympics after luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in the horror crash in training on Friday. Later in the day, however, a Georgian minister announced the team would continue to honour the killed 'slider'.

"Our first thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the athlete," said International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge after the crash which overshadowed the eagerly-awaited opening ceremony.

"This tragedy clearly casts a shadow over these Games."

The 21-year-old crashed during his second training run at one of the fastest points near the bottom of the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre on the final 270-degree turn.

Luger hit metal pole

He careered into both sides of the wall before being hurled over the top of the banking. Witnesses said Kumaritashvili then hit a metal pillar on the side after travelling at 145kph on a track widely-regarded as the fastest in the sport.

Kumaritashvili, who was knocked unconscious, was immediately placed on a stretcher with blood pouring from his face and airlifted to hospital where he later died.

"An investigation is underway into the circumstances of the accident. Training was suspended and technical officials are now trying to establish the causes," said an official statement.

The Georgian team, which arrived with eight athletes for the February 12-28 Games, were understood to be considering whether to stay while luge officials have yet to decide whether or not Saturday's men's qualification will go ahead.

"Their decision is not final, but they are considering their participation. But they have not confirmed yet," Rogge said.

Lugers reaching 'speed ceiling'
   
Earlier in the week, other competitors admitted the course was one of the most challenging. US luger Tony Benshoof, who was fourth at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, said lugers were close to reaching a speed ceiling.

"We're really close. The tracks are getting faster and faster. It's getting pretty crazy. There's that word (dangerous), it's like that word 'fear'," said Benshoof.

"It's getting down to that. I mean, a 100mph is pretty quick. I don't know how much faster we can go."

On Wednesday, there were several crashes during women's training runs.

Romania's Violeta Stramaturaru crashed and was knocked unconscious for a few minutes and was taken to the hospital.

Bright carries Aussie flag

Meanwhile, Snowboarder Torah Bright carried the Australian flag in the opening ceremony for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The 23-year-old from the NSW town of Cooma was announced as the official flagbearer at an Australian team function.

Experienced aerial skiers Jacqui Cooper and Lydia Lassela would also have been in contention for the honour, but both chose to remain at their training base in eastern Canada and missed the opening ceremony.  

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