For a man who spends most of his time out in the freezing cold, it is reassuring to know that the fire in Patrick Singleton's belly is burning hotter than ever.

After feeling as if he had “let Bermuda down” following his performance at last month's Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Bermudian luger is determined to make the grade in four years time when the event moves to Torino in Italy.

Singleton finished 37th out of 50 competitors after wiping out during his second run in the US.

“I know I'm a world class luger. But today I felt I let my dad, the people of Bermuda, the BOA (Bermuda Olmypic Association) and other people who believed in me, down. This is not a good feeling,” he said after leaving the track.

Though the weeks have passed, Singleton admits he is still not over his disappointment. But, rather than moping around and feeling sorry for himself, he is determined to use those emotions to spur him on to bigger and better things in the future.

“I am still pretty upset because I didn't go to the Olympic Games to spectate. But at the end of the day a lot of the other guys didn't do very well either,” he said yesterday. “They seemed to be able to put it behind them. Some guys had broken legs and they were fine.

“I don't know why but I haven't been able to do that. I think it's because I really wanted to do well. Bermuda doesn't have the exposure to the luge. People can't see my training runs every day or the World Cup races, so the Games are the only way people can see me.

“I thought I would give it a good shot. I worked so hard over the last few years that for me to blow it in the Olympic Games...”

Singleton, who is set to appear at a travel seminar in Boston on behalf of the Bermuda Department of Tourism, believes he has come along way since making his debut at the Nagano Olympics in 1998. What's more, he believes he still has some way to go before he reaches his peak.

“Nagano was a great Olympics for me. I didn't know if I had qualified and then I was just looking forward to having a good race,” he said. “At these Olympic Games I knew if I stayed healthy I would qualify. I know now that on the World Cup circuit, so long as I stay healthy, I am fast enough. It's not enough just to say ‘it's great to have qualified for the Games' because I know I can do it now. I am looking to have good results.

“I was doing well on the World Cup circuit so I thought why not go for it. I thought these Games would be my last if I had a good result. But now I know I have to fight for another four years at least.”

That fight has already started with Singleton honing his physical fitness in readiness for the start of the World Cup season later this year.

“After the Games I wanted to go to Calgary to do some more training. You do it for so long and you just want to keep going. You are in that mode, it's hard to stop. I guess it's like a runner who doesn't run for a few days. They feel that addiction and they need to go out and run,” he said.

“Unfortunately, all the tracks were closed and Calgary was my only option. But I have continued physical training and conditioning and I will start training (for the luge) again in May.

“The next event does not start until November but it's critical to keep your summer training up.”

Singleton has been given time off from his day job to compete in the luge and, if finance was no object, he would prefer to be out in the fresh air than stuck behind a desk.

“I would prefer to do that to work,” he said, adding in a kind of reverse logic, “Luge is such a hard job. It's worse than working. You are out there for 14 hours a day in the cold. But I don't know what it is, I just love sliding sports.”

Singleton thought he was capable of a top 12 finish in Utah. At worst he hoped for top 20.

“It didn't happen but I have this desire to go and compete and I don't like spectating,” he said, setting his sights on the forthcoming season. “My goal is to win a World Cup or to medal on the circuit. I won my first race this year but it was a Canadian warm-up (for the Games) so if I could win a World Cup (meeting) it would be pretty impressive.

“That would be my goal, not necessarily the Olympic Games. They are not the biggest goal. It would be the icing on the cake but I want to really prove to myself that on the World Cup circuit I can be extremely competitive.”