Wang Peixuan sets China's best Olympic result in women's singles luge

China's Wang Peixuan delivered the country's best-ever Olympic performance in the women's singles luge with a 21st-place finish at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Tuesday.

Wang Peixuan of China competes during the first run of the women's singles race at the FIL Eberspacher Luge World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia, Jan. 15, 2023. (Photo by Edijs Palens/Xinhua)

Wang posted a total time of two minutes 42.631 seconds after three runs, finishing just one place shy of qualifying for the fourth and final run.

"I made some mistakes at the start in the third run, which was a bit disappointing," Wang said. "But the rest of the run, including how I handled the curves, was quite good."

Wang began her athletic career as a javelin thrower at the age of 11 before being selected into China's national women's luge training program when she was 15. She made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, where she finished 29th.

"Luge is extremely fast, and it requires strong mental toughness and quick reactions. I really enjoy this sport," she said. "I have improved my emotional control with a calmer mindset under pressure as a veteran in the team. I will focus on the upcoming team relay event."

The team relay competition will be held on Thursday.