Winter Olympics marred by death of Georgian luge competitor

NODAR Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old Georgian luger, died after a horrifying crash in training yesterday, casting a pall over the Winter Olympics hours before the Games were to be declared open.

Kumaritashvili was thrown off the sled as it bounced over the rim of the lightning fast track at the Whistler Sliding Centre at around 90mph and slammed into a steel pillar.

He was taken away in an ambulance after receiving emergency treatment at the scene but the head of the Georgian Olympic delegation later confirmed he had died from his injuries.

The crash at a Whistler track regarded as the fastest in the world destroyed a mood that had been one of celebration, as Vancouver prepared to welcome the world.

Residents lined the streets early on a mild day in the city centre, cheering on torch-bearers before the opening ceremony, which was due to begin at 6pm local time (2am today).

Small groups of anti-Games protestors swapped chants with pro-Olympic fans, many decked out in Canadian colours, but there was no serious trouble.

Speculation was rife about who would be given the honour of lighting the cauldron at the ceremony. Fog and rain that forced the cancellation of the men's Alpine skiing downhill training session dampened the excitement a little before a shadow was cast over Vancouver's big day by a crash that made for unbearable viewing. Training was immediately suspended.

The BC Place arena in Vancouver, venue for the first Winter Olympics opening ceremony to be held indoors, was set to be packed as hundreds of millions of viewers tuned in. Many people in Vancouver expected ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to be the final torch-bearer after he was spotted in the city this week.

Before the crash, the main talk was whether Lindsey Vonn, one of the most popular and recognisable faces among the athletes, would be able to compete.

The American arrived worried that a bruised shin might stop her going for five gold medals in Alpine skiing and while she used Twitter and Facebook to reassure fans that she was getting better, the cancellation of her training run on Thursday meant she was unable to get a real test.

"With Glowing Hearts" read the front page headline in yesterday's Vancouver Sun, yet not everyone in the city is delighted to see the five-ring circus in town. Anti-Olympic groups plan a series of protests and predict one of the world's largest sporting events will draw anti-globalisation activists from across North America.

Whether the sport itself takes place on schedule may depend on the weather in Whistler and Cypress Mountain, where fog and rain are causing problems.