In the wake of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili’s death Friday, some pretty drastic measures have been taken. One was to change the start of the women’s luge to the junior start gate on the Whistler Sliding Centre course. The Vancouver Sun reports: The women and doubles course was 1,198 metres long and is now just 953. Last season the Canadian youth (under-15) championships were held on the short course.
Germany’s Natalie Geisenberger, who has won three times in eight World Cup races this season and finished second four times, finds the whole ordeal insulting. “We trained the whole summer and we are strong and fast and now the fastest starters are slow,” said Natalie. It’s not fun. It’s not a ladies start, it’s a kinder start.” Kinder is German for child.
Canadian, Regan Lauscher, had a different take. “Champions 
aren’t the people who can have in perfect conditions their best race,” she said. “They’re the people who can adapt to anything. I think that’s who should be the Olympic champion. It’s a challenge. It’s one we didn’t see coming and one we didn’t train for but I think everybody here can deal with it.”
Christopher Meatto