India’s winter sports poster boy Shiva Keshavan on Sunday brought the curtains down on his over two-decade international career with a 34th-place finish in men’s luge.
Taking part in his sixth and last Olympics, the 36-year-old produced the best timing of his campaign as he covered the 1,344 metre track at the Olympic Sliding Center in 48.900 seconds in his third round heat.
The effort put him 34th overall after three rounds and since he finished outside the top 20, he did not get to compete in the final run, which decided the medals.
As soon as Keshavan crossed the finishing line, he made a broad smile towards the sizeable Indian supporters, including his family members. He lifted his sled over his head and waved to the crowd for one last time.
Signing off: Shiva Keshavan speeding down the luge circuit during his final race race at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang on Sunday.
Son of an Indian father from Kerala and an Italian mother, Keshavan was born and brought up in Manali.
He was just 16 years of age when he first took part in the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan in 1998.
Since then he has taken part in each of the Winter Olympics.
He is the reigning Asian champion in luge and the speed record holder. He has won Asian Luge Championships in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017.
Meanwhile in other action, a 17-year-old American snowboarder made history by becoming the first Games gold medallist born this millennium.
Red Gerard, born on June 29, 2000, celebrated a storming win in slopestyle, which also made him the second youngest individual winner in Games history.