The 2014 Sochi Olympic organizers were initially planning on building the world’s fastest, most difficult track for the next Olympics, but after the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, they are changing their plans. They still intend on building a course that is “technically very demanding”, but they are being careful to build a course that is safe.

The Olympic organizers plan on building the course as soon as possible. In fact, they hope to open the track and hold competitions on it by 2011.

In my view, building a safe track is a good idea. No matter what kind of track you have, the top Olympians will still be able to go down the track faster than your average bear. While the Whistler track is not extremely dangerous for the medal contenders, it is dangerous for people from the smaller countries (like Georgia) and from countries that don’t have well-developed luge programs. We can’t expect Felix Loch performance (he won the gold) from a Jamaican luger. The track needs to be safe for the Jamaican, as well as those that have a chance at the medal.

As you may remember, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed a month ago today, while making a luge training run hours prior to the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Aside from a few minor glitches, his death seemed to be the one black spot of the otherwise well-done games.

I know that many people around the world are having difficult financial times right now. Not only are we in the middle of a global recession, but places like Haiti and Chile have been hit with devastating earthquakes. We want to give, but it seems like we don’t have much.

The International Luge Federation (IFL) is collecting donations for the family of Nodar Kumaritashvili. His family could use their help. They lost their home to fire a few years ago, and I guess they have never fully recovered. I know what it’s like to have my house catch on fire, it happened to me in 2008… it was not a fun experience, and I had fire insurance. I’m not sure if they have that kind of security in Georgia.

If you have a little extra money, please consider making a donation to the Kumaritashvili family. While the majority of us will go on with our lives, his family has been altered forever. If you don’t, that’s understandable, but if you could, then that’s wonderful. Thanks.

Probably the most memorable event of the 1994 Olympics, for many, was the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, just prior to the Olympic games. It later was discovered that Tonya Harding’s bodyguard was the man involved, in an attempt to take Kerrigan out of competition. It didn’t work, and Kerrigan went on to win the silver. Harding, on the other hand, not only didn’t win a medal (she came in eighth), she seemed to turn to the scandalous after that. Harding became better known for sex tapes and celebrity boxing than skating well.

Lillehammer was also the year that Dan Jansen took his victory lap with his daughter, Jane, now made famous by those Visa commercials. He won the 1000 meter speed skating event this year, two Olympics after getting the bad news during the 1988 Olympics that his sister had died the morning of the competition.

Most of the 1994 competitors have long since retired, but a few are still hanging around. Luge’s Armin Zöggeler won the bronze medal for Italy, and Mark Grimmette, the flagbearer for the US Olympic team this year, were part of the Lillehammer games.

The big news of the day, as far as the US is concerned, is that Lindsey Vonn won gold in the ladies’ downhill event. A few weeks ago, she badly bruised her shins, and we were all hoping that she’d recover enough to compete and do well. Julia Mancuso took the silver.

The United States did well in halfpipe too. Shaun White won the gold medal, and Scott Lago won the bronze. Unfortunately, I won’t have the chance to see this until tomorrow.

The United States made its mark in speed skating today. Shani Davis won the 1000 m gold, while Chad Hedrick won the bronze. Mo Tae-Bum of South Korea, who won the 500 m race, came in with the silver.

The Austrian pair of Andreas and Wolfgang Linger took gold in double’s luge; Latvia and Germany took silver and bronze. The US team of Dan Joye and Christian Niccum came in sixth, while veterans Grimmette and Martin came in thirteenth. Technically, double’s luge is a coed event; however, so far, no ladies have competed in doubles in the Olympics.

The Russians dominated the men’s cross-country sprint, taking the gold and silver medals. Marit Bjørgen of Norway won the women’s gold; a couple of days ago she earned the bronze in the 10 km individual event. American Kikkan Randall made it to the semifinals. Petra Majdic, who won the bronze medal, had a freak accident during the warm-up: she slid off the course and into a ditch. She needed medical attention, but she was able to recover and win a medal.

Wang Meng of China won gold for ladies’ short track. Men’s figure skating will complete tomorrow with the long program.

My medal count chart has been updated through today. The United States now has 14 medals, including 5 gold. Germany has 10, France has 7, Canada has 6.

On the second day of competition, Canada finally received its first gold medal while hosting an Olympics. Alexandre Bilodeau skied an outstanding performance in the men’s freestyle moguls in order to take home gold. US skier Bryon Wilson came in third for the bronze, while Australia’s Dale Biggs-Smith got the silver.

Johnny Spillane made history for the United States on day 2. The US had never received a medal in Nordic Combined, until today. Johnny Spillane came in second, behind France’s Jason Lamy Chappuis, to take the silver medal.

It snowed last night in the mountains of Vancouver, which was a mixed blessing. Officials said that the snow was too soft, but now there is more of it. Let’s hope that it doesn’t rain. The postponed downhill skiing competition is supposed to begin tomorrow.

Germany’s Felix Loch, who some have surmised might be the next Georg Hackl, didn’t disappoint the people who had hopes in him. He won the gold medal in men’s luge. German David Möller received the silver, while Italy’s Armin Zöggler, who was one of the favorites for gold, came in third.

The Vancouver Medal Count chart has been updated through today. So far, the United States has won seven medals; Germany, France, and Canada three; Korea and Italy two. Ten other countries have one medal.

On day 1 of Vancouver 2010’s competition ski jumping, speed skating, and biathlon took place early on. Women’s moguls, male luge, and short track speed skating will occur later on in the day.

Fog and slush delayed the men’s downhill competition today, and it has been postponed.

Yesterday, all three US ski jumpers qualified for today’s run, but they didn’t make it to the second run today. Switzerland’s Simon Ammann took gold, becoming the first ski jumper to win multiple gold medals on the Normal Hill. His first gold was in 2002 in Salt Lake City.

The Netherlands expected Sven Kramer to get the gold medal in the 5000 m distance in speed skating, and he didn’t disappoint. Lee Seung-Hoon of Korea was a surprise with the silver medal. Team USA’s skaters aren’t as strong at this distance; Chad Hedrick came in 11th, Shani Davis was 12th, and Trevor Marsicano came in 14th place.

The women’s 7.5 km biathlon was won by Anastazia Kuzmina of Slovakia. The favorite, Germany’s Magdalena Neuner, came in second. The top US showing was by Sara Studebaker, who came in 45th place (out of 89 competitors).

Luge will go on, but safety measures have been put in place. For one thing, a large wall was constructed on that dangerous turn, and the ice has been reshaped to make it slower. Additionally, competitors will start at lower gates, so that they will not be going as fast. The officials said that the track was not to blame for yesterday’s accident… sure.

All medal winners for today’s events have been entered into my medal count chart.

Kumaritashvili was sliding down the fastest part of the track, when he slid out of control, flew over a wall, and hit a steel beam. He was knocked unconscious, then died after he arrived at the hospital.

Georgia is considering dropping out of the Vancouver Olympics entirely, and are unsure of whether they will be participating in tonight’s opening ceremonies.

Some are calling for the cancellation of all sliding events after this tragedy. The Whistler track is dangerous; the athletes are achieving speeds that are faster than previous tracks. However, the Olympics only come once every four years. Not everybody will have the opportunity to compete in Sochi in 2014. Rather than cancelling the event, my take on it is that if anything is to be done, it would be better for everyone to either slow down the ice, move the starting gate further down the track, install safety measures, or move the event. If they can helicopter in mountains of snow, like they have been with Cypress Mountain, they can find a way to make the show go on.

Since the Winter Olympics began in 1924, Kumaritashvili has been the fourth Olympian to die in the winter games. The first two deaths occurred in 1964, after Australian skier Ross Milne struck a tree during a training run. During the same year, British luger Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki also died in a training run. Oddly enough, in 1964, the Olympics was also facing a lack of snow; the Austrian army trucked in ice from elsewhere. In 1992, Swiss skier Nicholas Bochatay died after crashing into a snow grooming machine.

While this event is a tragedy, the other athletes do have a choice over whether to compete or not. Engineers should do whatever they can to make the event as safe as possible, but it would be unfair to everyone else to cancel the event.