In February 2010, as the final trial runs were being done on the Luge track, and as most people in Vancouver were thinking about the opening ceremony that evening, Georgian Nodar Kumaritashvilli had an accident and died.

A year later, emails and documents are emerging that suggest that a few people were aware that this luge track was faster and potentially more dangerous than any before it, in a sport where fast and risky are already hallmarks.  The facts, as the seem to be emerging:

• The International Luge Federation (FIL) was responsible for the track design, and commissioned it. 
• They were concerned that it was markedly faster than any before it. This was a design feature that the FIL wanted to reel back in before the next Olymics in Sochi.
• In an email, John Furlong, chairman of VANOC (the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee), passed on the concerns to his team, to make sure they had done everything they could have done, and were asked to do.  This included some changes to make the track somewhat safer.  
• The consensus seems to be from FIL that their track designer made some miscalculations that led to the track being faster.  
• The FIL does not seem to have notified the various national luge federations that the Vancouver track was abnormally fast.   

Some observations:

• As in many situations, the athletes themselves would have known they were going faster than ever before, but in the end, they bore all the risks. 
• When Kumaritashvilli died, everyone had to decide how to proceed.  The Olympic brand, a high ideal of noble athletes striving for their best for themselves and country is a very high ideal.  What a brand and reputation stand for a reinforced or defined at moments like this.  
• At that exact moment, many participants had to make decisions.  The IOC, the Organizers, the IFL, the Georgian team, other teams, the media outlets, and many others.  Some were easy, motivated by pure compassion.  Others were more complex and nuanced.  One can't just "cancel" the olympics when billions have been spent prepapring, thousands of athletes have prepared for years, ktens of thousands have travelled to see them.