Olympic athlete dies in training accident

An Olympic athlete died early Friday in a training accident on the very day the Opening Ceremonies were scheduled to begin.

Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, of the Republic of Georgia, was training as a luge athlete Friday when his sled flipped and he flew over the embankment, hitting a concrete wall, the New York Times reported.

Kumaritashvili was on the last turn of the run and traveling around nearly 90 mph when the accident occurred, the New York Times said.

Paramedics were immediately at the scene, said the Pioneer Press, giving him chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but to no avail.

The Pioneer Press reports that Kumaritashvili was pronounced dead at the trauma center in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

The New York Times reported that this will likely raise questions into the safety of the $100 million luge track that some are calling the most dangerous track ever.