Sports Illustrated backs Shiva to win hearts at Turin

The sole Indian entrant at the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics, Keshavan had caught the attention of American media four years ago at the Salt Lake City Olympics, even though his exploits barely hogged headlines back home.

“The kid’s one in a billion,” one US daily proclaimed as talk show host Jay Leno punned on how India, a nation of one billion people, was represented by just one athlete.

An American sports writer noted that Keshavan’s sled looked “like a 1957 Chevy with rusty doors and borrowed parts from 10 cars!”

This time around, Keshavan will be leading a four-member Indian team but remains the country’s best bet for an elusive Winter Olympic medal.

“I am in good form and will be aiming at winning the event. Nevertheless, I will be very satisfied with a top 20 position,” Keshavan said from Turin.

A Winter Olympic sport since 1964, luge involves a high-speed sled ride through a semi-circular ice track.

The men’s event starts at the Cesana Pariol track on February 11, a day after the opening ceremony where Keshavan will be India’s flag-bearer for the third Games in a row.

“Training is going on well. I got the chance to test the track here — reputedly the world’s fastest luge track. Unofficially, the fastest speed recorded here is 158km/h,” Keshavan said.

Though he placed 28th in Nagano (1998) as a 16-year-old and 33rd at Salt Lake City (2002), Keshavan’s performances were creditable considering he finished just about a second slower than the winner in each of the four luge runs.

His preparations for the Turin Games got a boost in December 2005 with Keshavan winning his first international medals at the Asia Cup in Nagano. He won the bronze medal in the singles and then teamed up with Korea’s Kim Min Kyu to claim a silver in the doubles event.

But Keshavan knows that to win a coveted Olympic medal for India, he would have to beat several European athletes who dominate the world rankings. He has been following a rigorous training schedule set by coach Yann Fricheteau with three sessions per day to achieve top form in time for his event.