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Luger from India ready for 6th trip to Olympics

Shiva Keshavan of India speaks with reporters after competing in the Nations Cup luge race, a World Cup qualifier, in Lake Placid, N.Y., on Thursday. (AP photo)

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Shiva Keshavan is probably not going to medal at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

That doesn’t make him irrelevant.

His name gets heard once every four years, because of his story: A guy from India, where there is no great winter sports legacy to speak of, goes to the Olympics — in luge of all things. When he competes in Pyeongchang, it’ll be his sixth and almost certainly final time as an Olympian. He’s never finished better than 25th, and that’s not likely to change this February.

Ask him if it was worth it, and he doesn’t hesitate before saying yes.

“I didn’t do this for other people to look at my story,” Keshavan said. “I did it for myself. I did it to improve myself and I feel that I’ve come a long way. Until now I’ve learned a lot, traveled the world, met people all over the world and I’ve been privileged to do that. And, well, if other people look at me, I know they’ll respect me for what I did.”

Keshavan was 31st in a 35-slider Nations Cup event on Thursday night at Mount Van Hoevenberg, meaning he won’t be competing in today’s World Cup event. Only the top 15 from the Nations Cup advanced, and Keshavan wasn’t close.

But that doesn’t deter him, and never has. Keshavan’s attitude has been infectious among other sliders for years, and it’s clear he’ll be missed if this — as he expects — is the end of his Olympic journey.

“It really is kind of like a community that you’re a part of, and it’s something that’s really hard to let go,” said longtime USA Luge slider Chris Mazdzer, one of the many on the luge circuit who considers Keshavan a good friend.

Keshavan is sort of an unofficial member of many national teams.

Keshavan calls Lake Placid his home track.

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