Winter Olympian Patrick Singleton claimed his second skeleton crown of the season, but his triumph was tinged with tragedy after a serious injury to a close friend.

Singleton claimed the International Class of the Bavarian national championships ? ?my greatest triumph in skeleton so far? ? but later that evening found out former luge training partner and room mate Renato Mizoguchi was in a coma after a crash on the Olympic track in Torino.

?It was a great win for me, but it is hard to concentrate at the moment,? said a clearly-moved Singleton.

?I know I am not making a lot of sense because I am finding it hard to concentrate at the moment, he is a good friend and we were very close when I was involved in luge.?

Singleton?s victory was a far more meaningful one than his South American and Caribbean triumph in Altenberg in December thanks to the quality of the opposition.

?It was important for me and my greatest triumph in skeleton so far,? said Singleton, the sole Bermudian athlete at the Salt Lake City games three years ago.

?Basically the field consisted of Challenge Cup athletes, the guys I am going to go up against to qualify for the World Championships next week.

?We were all invited to take part because we were all here for the Challenge Cup.

?To try and simulate the conditions of the Challenge Cup, I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform and I did just that.

?I was the fastest on both runs but I also kept an eye on the times of the Germans who were competing separately in the Bavarian Championships and I beat their times as well.

?It was a good win and it was good to know that I can win under pressure, it makes me realise I have what it takes.?

Singleton will take on the same opponents next week on the same circuit in the Challenge Cup in an attempt to qualify for the World Championships in Calgary ? actually taking place the same day as the final session of the Challenge Cup, albeit on the other side of the world.

If the Bermudian can qualify, as he did last year under the complex procedures, he will be forced to make a mad dash to the nearest airport to Konigsee and then on to a flight to Canada ? unless more track time in Torino comes up.

?There is a chance we may be allowed back on the Olympic track and if there is I will opt for that rather than the world championships,? added Singleton.

?Although it was my season goal to go to Calgary, I cannot pass up an opportunity to go on to the Torino track, that is my overall goal and every run on that counts.

?Hopefully they can get the track in good order, there were a lot of broken bones when the luge guys had their go and I they need to get it sorted.

?Renato is a really good guy and I really feel for him and hope he recovers soon.?

Mizoguchi had surgery earlier this week to reduce the swelling on his brain following his injury, but is now in a stable condition in an induced coma.