plenty to smile about yesterday.

While competing in the first day of the men's luge event at the Winter Olympics at Lillehammer, Norway, Payne managed to produce a personal best time when he took his first run down the Hunderfossen track.

The lone Bermudian competing at Lillehammer was clocked at 52.606 seconds after his first run on the dangerous track and was timed 53.126 for the second run for an aggregate total of one minute, 45.461.

The total put Payne in 31st place out of the 33 racers in the event.

"The conditions were fantastic, and this is probably one of the smoothest tracks I've ever been on,'' said Payne yesterday from his room at the Olympic Village.

Payne sped down the three-quarters-of-a-mile course at 120 kilometres per hour, which was also a personal best.

He is, however, far behind Germany's defending men's champion Georg Hackl, who took a step towards Olympic history yesterday.

After taking a lead of one hundreth-of-a-second over Austrian Markus Prock after the first two runs of the singles event, the stocky Bavarian is in a position to become the first man to win two Olympic gold medals in the individual event.

The 27-year-old Hackl picked a good line down the track to finish the first run in a track record of 50.296 seconds, just four thousandths of a second ahead of Prock, the silver medallist at the 1992 Albertville Games.

The Berchtesgaden soldier, who first took up the sport at school at the age of 11, clocked 50.560 in the second run to extend his slim lead with an aggregate time of one minute, 40.856. The racers face the final two runs today.

Payne came into the day's competition on a high from the previous day's low key, but glittering opening ceremonies.

Following Bermuda's chef de mission John Hoskins into the stadium, Payne waved proudly to the thousands of fans in attendance and billions others watching on television around the world.

"It was spectacular,'' Payne said. "But it was cold. John (Hoskins) wanted us to wear Bermuda shorts, but I said no way.'' Payne was the last racer to participate on the first run yesterday, which only added to his early morning jitters.

"I had a big rush as I got closer and closer to racing,'' said Payne. "I was nervous, but I think it's good to be nervous sometimes.'' Payne credited his Austrian coach, Gunther Lemmerer, for his slow, but steady progress during the past several months.

"Everything is coming together, almost every day I've improved on my times.'' Payne is staying at the Olympic Village, located roughly 25 minutes by car from the luge course.

Prock, meantime, went down the second run in 50.566 for an aggregate 1:40.866.

Italian Armin Zoeggeler was third in 1:41.042.

Luge competitions are often decided by a few thousandths of a second. Although Hackl is a seasoned competitor he will still need to look for perfection on every corner of the track today to clinch his place in luge history.

No man has ever won two golds in the singles since the sport was first introduced to the Games in 1964 although former East Germany's Steffi Martin-Walter achieved the feat in the women's events in 1984 and 1988.

After winning a silver medal at the 1988 Calgary Games, Hackl will rate as the most successful Olympic luger ever if he can keep his nerve today.

The affable Bavarian, who has a penchant for German beer, seemed to be showing little signs of pressure.

Asked if he might have problems sleeping last night before the big day, Hackl said: "I have had no problems so far. I'm not sure about tonight. Let's just see what surprises tomorrow brings.'' More coverage on page 29.

WARM WELCOME -- Simon Payne, left, waves to the crowd during Saturday's opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Holding the flag is John Hoskins.