It marked the fifth time since gaining independence that Georgia sent a delegation, though it had previously competed since 1952 as a member of the Soviet Union.

On the day of the opening ceremony, Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in an accident while practicing for the games.

Two athletes were qualified for the luge, with both Levan Gureshidze and Nodar Kumaritashvili set to make their Olympics' debut.

However, on February 12, the day of the Opening Ceremony, Kumaritashvili crashed during a training run and was killed.

The Whistler Sliding Centre, which recorded some of the fastest speeds in luge, experienced several accidents occurred during training runs leading up to the start of the games.