Many factors led to Olympic death: coroner

VANCOUVER – Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games because a collection of systems meant to control risk "failed to anticipate this incident or mitigate the outcome," a report by the B.C. Coroners Service has found.

"The collision was a result of an interaction of factors including high speed, technical challenges and exacting physical forces with the associated physiological stresses, which converged at a critical moment, overwhelming the athlete and causing irrevocable loss of control of the sled," said the report released Monday.

In a statement, the service added it will not conduct an inquest because it is "unlikely an inquest would uncover additional, relevant information."

It calls for a comprehensive safety audit of the track in Whistler, B.C., where the crash happened.

It also asked that the body governing the sport examine its track-building practices, including the locations of safety barriers, and recommends that lugers have more venue-specific training before competitions.

Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled on Curve 16 of the Whistler Sliding Centre during a Feb. 12 training run. He flew off his sled, over the track and backward into a steel post.

The death sparked international criticism and fear that the Whistler track was too fast.

"The investigation examined numerous factors related to the athlete, sled, track condition and design, training and preparation and circumstances surrounding the fateful training run," said a statement from the coroners service about the report.

The findings are similar to those released earlier this year by the International Luge Federation, which found a "complex series of interrelated events" led to the 21-year-old athlete’s death.

The April report found "there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track."