Ma Chih-hung finished 28th out of 36 competitors in the men's single luge competition, bringing to an end Taiwan's medal hopes in Torino.
While Ma was far slower than a medal winning time, he fared well in simply qualifying for the 2006 Winter Olympics. He turned in four solid luge runs over two days -- rising three positions on the final day.
The men's single luge competition was the scene of wild celebration as Italian Armin Zoeggeler recorded Italy's first win as the host country, triggering spectators to set off a fireworks alongside the US$93 million dollar track.
Zoeggler won with an aggregate time of 3:26.088, beating silver medalist Albert Dementschko of Russia by a hundredth of a second with an 3:26.198 aggregate.
There was just a 1 second difference in aggregate among the top nine competitors.
As for Asian competitors, Japan's Takahisa Oguchi was the top finisher, coming in 20th, followed by Indian Shiva Keshavan who was 26th. Ma followed with an aggregate time of 3:35.141, trailing the gold-medal winner by more than nine seconds.
Local Chinese-language media reported that both Ma and his coach were happy with the consistent nature of each run and improving times.
Ma, 19, is one of the youngest competitors in men's single luge, a sport which relies more upon experience than physical strength. Top competitors are routinely in their mid-30s as the sport largely relies on body position to steer their sleds through winding courses.
A lack of training facilities hampers Asian competitors, with the only world class track located in Nagano, Japan, the sight of the 1998 Winter Olympics. Ma has done well on this track, recording a first-place finish in the Asian Junior Cup there last year.
Ma was also handicapped by his starting time at this year's Olympics. Competitors are seeded according to three different ranking groups with top lugers enjoying earlier starting times. As more competitors make their way down the track, the surface begins to become slower as conditions deteriorate.
Better track conditions can be such an advantage that starting order is routinely inverted or reversed within one ranking group. Ma will likely continue to improve as an Olympic hopeful, emerging as a true medal hopeful in the next Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver in 2010.
"Our coaches say that he has the right skills for this sport," said Hsu Chi-you, president of the Amateur Chinese Taipei Luge and Bobsled Association.
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