Georgia bids farewell to Olympic luger Kumaritashvili

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Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died in a horrific accident during a training run hours before the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, was buried on Saturday in his hometown of Bakuriani.

Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died in a horrific accident during a training run hours before the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, was buried on Saturday in his hometown of Bakuriani.

The 21-year-old hurtled off the high-speed track and slammed into a metal pole at 140 km/h (90 mph). He was taken to hospital with blood pouring from a head wound after trackside emergency treatment, but doctors were unable to save his life.

His death sparked multiple controversies over safety in the sport, prompting officials to lower the starting point in an attempt to reduce speeds.

His funeral was attended by thousands of people, including the country's president, Mikhail Saakashvili, and other leading politicians.

"This is a huge tragedy both for Nodar's family and the entire nation," Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalanadze said.

"This is very hard to bear for tiny Georgia," the country's first lady, Sandra Rulovz, said.

It was earlier announced that a street and a luge track in Bakuriani, some 190 kms from the capital Tbilisi, would be named in the athlete's honor.

TBILISI, February 20 (RIA Novosti)

 

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