Less Rain More Shine in Vancouver
The grey skies over Vancouver for much of the start of the XXI Winter Olympic Games reflected the mood among the people and athletes who have come to Canada from around the world. The death of the Georgian Luge Slider Nodar Kumaritashvili was the dominant news story for much of the first two days of Olympic competition. Just hours before the opening ceremony, the 21-year-old athlete lost control of his sled at the Whistler Sliding Center while practicing at the facility about 90 miles north of Vancouver. He died from injuries he sustained after flying off the track and striking a metal beam. A death during Olympic competition is a rare event, but when it happens, almost everyone - athlete and spectator alike - is affected by the loss. The Opening Ceremonies were a bittersweet occasion, with Canada trying to balance the elaborate celebration with the shock of Kumaritashvili’s death still fresh on the hearts and minds of fellow athletes. The Georgian Olympic Team wore black armbands in...