The Olympics. It brings to mind images of athletes striving to be their very best. Images of victory in the face of adversity and winners proudly flying their home flag. This year, however, the most memorable images of the Winter 2010 Olympics aren’t so uplifting.

On Feb. 12, Nodar Kumaritashvili, a luge competitor from Georgia (the country, not the state), lost control of his sled during a practice run and was propelled into a pillar along the slide. Though the 21-year-old Olympian was rushed to the hospital, his death was confirmed a short time later by Canadian authorities.

While the slide, known as Whistler Sliding Center, has been at the heart of controversy regarding its dangerous design lately (Kumaritashvili himself allegedly telling his father he had concerns about the safety of the track) his death has sparked an even greater debate over how such incidents should be handled.

For those who may not be familiar with the sport, luge requires participants to ride a thin sled while lying flat on their backs. The track is comparable to a water slide, with the curves allowing the athletes to gain speed and distance very quickly. Though lugers wear helmets, they generally lack other protective gear, making them extremely vulnerable to injuries. Ignoring this fact, Sven Romstad, International Luge Federation President, characterized the death of Kumaritashvili as an “avoidable mistake.”

Both the British Columbia Coroner’s Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concurred with the International Luge Federation’s findings and issued a statement that Kumaritashvili failed to properly compensate for the penultimate turn. Despite Kumaritashvili apparently being responsible for his own death, it’s interesting to note that Olympic officials were quick to modify the track anyway.

RELIVING THE MOMENT

But the complete lack of regard for Kumaritashvili didn’t stop with blaming him for his own death. All of the major networks opted to run footage of Kumaritashvili’s demise. NBC in particular has received particularly poor reviews for choosing to air the video the following day, at the actual opening of the Olympics.

To make matters worse, due to the wide release on network TV, bootlegged copies of the original video have been blasted all over YouTube. According to Don Osborne of Geek.com, the footage of Kumaritashvili’s final ride has gone viral as of Feb. 15.

“The search “luge tragedy video” is currently number 3 in Google’s hot trending searches, with a rating of “volcanic” with “luge accident abc” coming in at number 16.  On February 13th “video of nodar kumaritashvili’s death” was the 10th hottest search and “nodar kumaritashvili” came in at number 4 on Friday the 12th. As you might have guessed, the trend is reflected on Twitter. Videos of the luger’s death are said to be banned on YouTube but they are still available, one of which appears on the Associated Press’ official channel and has over 200,000 views.”

Not unlike the tapped execution of Nick Berg, the beheading of Daniel Pearl, or even the explosion of the Challenger, America demonstrates a morbid fascination with the macabre caught on video. Essentially, ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC were certainly catering to the whims of viewers (just in times for sweeps, no less) by delivering the grisly propulsion of Kumaritashvili into an unincorporated guard rail along the slide. However, these networks made the decision to play the footage continuously, and while the noise of the accident itself has been edited out, viewers are still able to acutely witness the complete crumpling of a human body against a sturdy structure.

To be fair, not all of the commentary and feedback surrounding the young Georgian’s death has sought to capitalize on his unexpected death. Thousands of sympathetic viewers have posted heartfelt condolences to the Kumaritashvili family and his surviving teammates. There are some that speculate this loss will help jettison Georgia to a stronger overall showing. It’s a grim reminder that, all other fanfare aside, the Olympics are about athletes competing in an international arena, and winning is the ultimate goal.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Still, the question remains. Is having such unrestricted access to this type of video ultimately a good idea? The short answer is no, and it’s one with an established precedent. While some athletes have died on camera before, the news opted to be more tasteful in broadcasting the coverage, if showing any at all.

In 1999, wrestling hero Owen Hart died while performing a wrestling stunt at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. Due to a malfunctioning of his equipment, Hart fell 78 feet before landing on his chest in the middle of the ring. He died from his injuries, though the precise moment of his death is unknown. No footage of Hart’s fall has ever been released. The Pay-Per-View itself panned away as soon as Hart began to fall, and focused on the audience instead. While those viewing the Pay-Per-View at home were informed about the seriousness of Hart’s condition, audience members were not made aware until it was announced that Hart had died at Truman Medical Center from his injuries.

While the World Wrestling Federation received some criticism for their decision to continue the Pay-Per-View event, the way in which Hart’s death is more respectful and appropriate for an athlete killed in the line of the game. Most athletes do understand that there is always a risk of serious injury in undertaking their sport, but few, if any, expect to die in the throes of competition. Especially where the Olympics, believed to be the pinnacle of athletic glory and integrity, are concerned. We’re talking about young athletes defending their own sense of nationalist pride in disciplined sporting events, which makes preventable deaths like Kumaritashvili that much more senseless, and tragic.

As such, they demand an even more rigid execution of sensitivity, not prime time showcasing.