Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics begin on a grim note after the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The Olympic luger struck a pole during his final practice run at the Whistler Sliding Center in Whistler, Canada. While Kumaritashvili's death has brought a great deal of sadness to the Georgian team, they have decided to continue competition in Vancouver's winter games. The high speed sport of luging is often dangerous, but this is the first time an Olympic athlete has died during an event, prompting concerns for remainder of the games. In addition, the Sliding Center in Whistler is considered to be one of the more challenging courses in the sport. Several other competitors have crashed during their practice runs, resulting in minor injuries. Yet, it is presumed the event will still go on for the 2010 Olympics.
The death of an Olympic athlete just before the opening of the games, while unfortunate, is news. Kumaritashvili's death is a first for the Olympics, which is often a jovial event, and creates emotion-packed news. This news story also holds news value for a large range of people because it occurred in the Olympics, which are viewed around the globe.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/luge/8513595.stm
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To the news values you've noted, I'd add immediacy, prominence (the Olympic games are well known) and novelty (it's very unusual for a competitor to die at the Olympics).
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