Nations Cup: Asia's fastest luger Keshavan thrilled with results

Indian luger Shiva Keshavan came up with a personal best timing of 53.125 seconds to finish the Nations Cup race in 15th place, his best-ever showing, at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday.

He clocked 120.01 km/h on his way down the 1.5 km ice course as the Luge World Cup Circuit kicked off with a promising show for India.

The gold went to Russia's Victor Kneyb, who put down a record time of 51.675 seconds, with a speed of 123.73 km/h.

This is a significant result for Keshavan, as it marks his first ever qualification for the World Cup Finals event, which will be held on Saturday.

The race took place in tough weather conditions, with the temperatures dropping to -13 degrees Celcius, making the ice extremely hard. Three top athletes crashed out as they failed to find their grip on the ice.

Keshavan, a luge pilot from Manali and fastest man in Asia, was satisfied with his performance.

"My coach Duncan and I are thrilled with the result. We have been working on some key driving points and aiming for stability and consistency, which paid off under these tough conditions.

"The aim is to take it one step at a time and continue to improve while slowly unlocking more speed from our sled during the year without compromising on control or safety.

"I am excited about the World Cup final tomorrow as it is our first time competing at this level. Thanks to my team and all the support back home," he said.