Rogge: Luge death leaves tragic mark

IOC President Jacques Rogge says the death of a Georgian luger will forever be associated with the Vancouver Games, just as the slaying of Israeli athletes remains a legacy of the Munich Olympics.

Rogge says the International Olympic Committee accepts “moral responsibility� but not legal responsibility for the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili.

The IOC chief says the training crash death will always cast a shadow over the Vancouver Olympics, but should be taken separately from the overall success of the Games.

Rogge said Thursday that Kumaritashvili’s death “will be a part of the Games just as what happened in Munich is part of the Games.�

Rogge has urged Russian organizers to make sure the sliding track is safe for the 2014 Sochi Games.

-- associated press

U.S. bobsledder detained by police

American bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer was detained and released by Canadian police after an argument with his fiancee, a person with direct knowledge of the investigation said.

Schuffenhauer resumed Olympic training Thursday and is expected to compete in Friday’s four-man bobsled.

Police released him after finding no evidence of a crime, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

“I didn’t get to talk to him about it,� said Mike Kohn, the driver of the sled that Schuffenhauer helps push. “There’s an ongoing investigation. I don’t know the facts. We’re just trying to focus on the race right now.�

Darrin Steele, chief executive of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, said Schuffenhauer was not arrested.

“It looks like nothing further is going to happen,� Steele said. “Looking at the whole thing I don’t foresee any way that he would not race, regardless of how things progress.�

Canadian police declined to comment, citing privacy laws. Schuffenhauer was not made available to reporters after training Thursday.

Schuffenhauer, 36, is a pushman for USA-3, driven by Kohn and also pushed by Jamie Moriarty and Nick Cunningham. None of the three offered any specifics about the circumstances surrounding Schuffenhauer, though all said after Thursday’s training session that their teammate was going about his work normally.

Schuffenhauer won a silver medal in four-man at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

-- associated press

Curling

As expected, Canada has made the finals in both the men’s and women’s competition. On the men’s side, Canada beat Sweden, 6-3. If they win the final they will become the first team to finish the competition unbeaten. They will be playing Norway, the team with the colorful pants, which made the final by beating Switzerland, 7-5.

Cheryl Bernard made some key shots under pressure to help Canada beat Switzerland, 6-5, in a women’s semifinal. Canada will play Sweden for the gold medal. The Swedes knocked off world champion China, 9-4, to make it to the final.

Cross-country skiing

Marit Bjoergen became the first person at the Games to have three golds (and four overall) when Norway won the women’s 4X5-kilometer relay.

Norway beat second-place Germany by about 25 seconds. Finland won the bronze. The U.S. finished 12th.

-- John Cherwa