Campbell-Pegg auctions luge suit for Kumaritashvili's family

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Posted: Saturday 27th February 2010 | 0:06

AUSTRALIAN luger Hannah Campbell-Pegg will auction her Olympic racing suit in order to raise money for the family of Nodar Kumaritashvili, the Georgian slider who died in a training accident on the eve of Vancouver 2010.

FUND-RAISING: Australian luger Hannah Campbell-Pegg is auctioning her racing suit to raise money for Nodar Kumaritashvili's family (Getty Images)

Campbell-Begg has listed the item on the on-line market place E-Bay and as of early on Friday, the leading bid was $1,775 Australian dollars.

Just hours before the opening ceremony, Kumaritashvili suffered a high speed, fatal crash when he came off his sled and crashed into a metal pole, part of the structure of the course.

The International Luge Federation were quick to blame athlete error for the accident but a number of competitors spoke of their fear of the lightning Whistler Sliding Centre track - and Campbell-Pegg was one of them.

She had said: "I think they are pushing it a little too much. To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives."

The E-Bay description of the suit reads: "The 27-year-old Sydneysider was looking for a way to not only honour Kumaritashvili's memory, but also make a small gesture so that his family knew that he had had a positive impact on others and will be missed.

"Campbell-Begg also believes that keeping her friend's memory alive is an acknowledgement that he achieved his Olympic dream, while also spreading a small part of the Olympic spirit to others."

The suit has been signed by Campbell-Pegg, the only Australian luge athlete at the Games, and will be professionally framed with photographs of her in the suit during the women's singles competition.

AS IT HAPPENS: Day 15 of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

Comments

I'm in Canada where the

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 05:08.

I'm in Canada where the games are on t.v. 24/7 and Nodar Kumaritashvili's death is rarely mentioned and if it is it is referred to without his name being used. I am sick about it. Thanks to Campbell-Pegg for honouring Nodar's memory.

I think that's a great thing

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 02/27/2010 - 01:08.

I think that's a great thing for her to do - and I am surprised about the lack of media coverage over a death. The Olympics think they're the be-all and end-all but for someone to die just by competing in a sport (which isn't saving lives or curing cancer, let's remember - it's just entertainment) - why isn't there more discussion over this?
Glad fellow lugers will not forget.