A couple of things about the death of the Georgian luge athlete at the Olympics.
First. I doubt anyone in the Olympic family will ever read my little blog but if they do everyone should know I wrote my comments about luge and bobsledding before this incredibly sad event at the Olympics. Flippantly comparing bobsledding and luging to NASCAR crashes, while certainly meant in purely an entertainment way, in light of a real death seems an incredible lack of understanding on my part. One would hope in the future I could articulate my thoughts without having to stoop to cheap comparisons like the one I did.
Second. If you ever doubt the emotion of an event like this just watch Jacques Rogge, a Belgian Count, who is the eighth and current president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). While European men are so typically stoic, Rogge shows so much compassion and grief and tears during the press announcement it is even more touching. It is one of those unexpected heart wrenching moments that punctuate the humanness of top level sports as well as the dangers that accompany performing at the highest levels.
No parent should ever have to bury their child. And even more so on the cusp of one of their proudest moments.