This wasn't the first athlete death at an Olympics. In fact, it's not the first luge death. The previous luge practice run death occurred two weeks prior to the game's opening ceremonies at the '64 games in Innsbruck. A downhill skier also died during a practice run at the '64 games.
Any death is a tragedy, but I can't help but think the fact this one happened only a few hours before the game's opening ceremonies amplified the attention it's getting. It also forced officials to scramble for some sort of quick, instant, fix .... good or bad.
Athlete Deaths Rare During Olympics - CBS News
