Cover-up is ongoing as CBC discovered through secret emails

Nodar Kumaritashvili, died on dangerous luge track in Vancouver officials ignored warning

The death of Georgian luge athlete Nodar Muaritashvili may have been preventable according to secret emails uncovered by the CBC.

Vancouver Olympic organizers (VANOC) were warned long in advance that the track was too dangerous and too fast.

In March 2009, VANOC head John Furlong wrote “Embedded in this note (cryptic as it may be) is a warning that the track is in their view too fast and someone could get badly hurt. An athlete gets badly injured or worse, and I think the case could be made we were warned and did nothing.” CBC 

Muaritashvili was killed when his sled left the track on a curve at 144.3 Km/h.

VANOC has been trying to cover up the death from the moment it happened. IOC lawyers in Switzerland sent take down orders to online media including YouTube and NJN Network, claiming the accident video was copyright.

NJN was the only website that carried the video for one day as everyone knuckled under to the IOC’s legal threats. Olympics Moves to Take Down Video of Luge Death

When we stood our ground, Huffington Post and other media sites put the video story back online.

Controversial video of accident at Vancouver Olympics – warning graphic content.

The official inquiry cleared VANOC of any responsibility in the death; however, it appears that too may have been a cover-up.

“An International Luge Federation (FIL) report found his death was an unforeseeable accident.”

CBC finds memo warning VANOC

“Internal emails obtained by the CBC through British Columbia’s Access to Information Act suggest Olympic organizers knew the track might be dangerous.”

“VANOC had been copied on a March 2009 memo that the FIL sent to the track’s designer. The federation said that speeds on the track were 20 km/h faster than expected.”

“The revelation apparently also worried VANOC head John Furlong, who wrote an internal email to senior staff,” the words quoted above.

That is exactly what happened.

Muaritashvili was one of the first athletes to test out the track. His sled went out of control and he hit the posts and a gruesome death.

Not only was the track to fast, apparently the protection that would put the athlete back on the track and not flying into the air was missing. Any accident at the higher speed was almost a sure-fire catastrophe.

Father of dead athlete blames VANOC

Muaritashvili’s father wants an independent “investigation into his son’s death after learning the Vancouver Olympics organizing committee (VANOC) had raised concerns about the track’s safety.”

“I think [the organizers] knew well in advance of the Games about the track. That they shouldn’t allow competition on the track, so why did they give permission to race?” David Kumaritashvili told CBC’s Israel Cinman on Tuesday, in an interview translated from Russian.

“Why didn’t they warn, for example, the Georgian racing federation and other federations, not to race on this track … this dangerous and deadly track,” he said from his home in Georgia.

VANOC tries to spin media one more time

VANOC and the IOC continue to stonewall on Muaritashvili’s death and their lack of precautions.

Along with trying to surpress the video and story earlier, Furlong and his media people are spinning the story this week.

The CTV and Globe and Mail are minimizing the damage from Furlong’s admission as “friendly” media. CTV was the official media for Canada during the Olympic games. The Globe and Mail is jointly controlled by CTV.

CBC also reported the selective release of VANOC’s damage control.

With story from CBC.