Werner Hoeger, a two-time Olympic luge competitor who trained on the Vancouver luge track where Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvili died last week, raised warnings about possible safety issues in November. (WARNING: link contains extremely disturbing images.)
The New York Times reports that Hoeger "said he lost consciousness and sustained a concussion during a botched training run on Nov. 13 after his sled caromed off an opening in the wall near the women's start ramp." Following the accident, Hoeger repeatedly warned Canadian and international officials about a range of potential hazards pertaining to the track.
A Sunday report claimed that Kumaritashvili told his dad he was terrified of the track just days before he died from a crash during training. The track, which had been called the fastest in the world, raised concerns among some even before the fatal accident.
The designer of the track, who says he was shocked by the death, recently said that the high speeds were a result of marketing decisions.
The Opening Ceremony last Friday night was dedicated to Kumaritashvili, and fellow Georgian Olympians mourned his passing by wearing black armbands. A wake was held for him in his hometown, where a luge track will be built in his memory.