Luge competitor critically wounded during exercise.
Winter Olympics - Horror luge crash rocks Olympics - Yahoo! Eurosport
Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili was given emergency resuscitation treatment after a horrifying crash in training for the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
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He was thrown off the sled as it bounced over the rim of the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre at around 90mph, according to observers.
He was unconscious, a Reuters reporter said.
Kumaritashvili was later taken away in an ambulance after medics had rushed to the scene to give him treatment.
The incident happened hours before the Winter Games officially open in Vancouver later on Friday.
Training was immediately suspended.
The 21-year-old was not considered a medal prospect. The accident happened on the 16th and final bend which was already gaining a notorious reputation for its speed.
The Whistler Sliding Centre is regarded as the fastest in the world and earlier on Friday several of the competitors had crashed in training.
That included gold medal favourite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy and on Thursday a Romanian woman competitor was briefly knocked unconscious.