BEIJING (AP) 鈥� Winning gold isn't always the goal.
Indian skier Arif Khan set his sights on completing both runs of the men's giant slalom at the Olympics on Sunday, and he managed to do just that.
Khan finished nearly 38 seconds behind 鈥� an eternity in the speedy world of ski racing. To make things tougher, the race was held amid heavy snow and with poor visibility.
鈥淚t was a bit difficult today with the weather, the snow,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淵ou could hardly see what was next to the gates. The guys who go down earlier, sometimes they make those icy ruts.
鈥淚f you try to keep up with your speed and (take) some other chances, you hit a rut, you go out, as you鈥檝e seen today. My focus was more about just finishing the race until the end, and I did it.鈥�
Only one of the 46 skiers who completed both runs had a slower combined time than Khan 鈥� 38-year-old Benjamin Alexander, who races for Jamaica and only skied for the first time six years ago.
Eight skiers didn鈥檛 complete the second run and 33 went out in the first as snow fell for the first time during an Alpine skiing race at this year鈥檚 Olympics.
鈥淏eing less aggressive was the total strategy this time,鈥� Khan said. 鈥淵ou can go fast in a race where you鈥檙e about to compete and win, but here it was more about making it down.
鈥淚 normally ski better than how I skied today, but today was representing the country, finishing the race, it was all about that.鈥�
Khan, who will also compete in the slalom on Wednesday, is India鈥檚 only athlete at the Beijing Games and the first from the country to qualify for two events at a Winter Olympics.
鈥淚n India we have a population of 1.4 billion people and I鈥檓 being representative of all that population. It means a lot to me,鈥� Khan said.
The 31-year-old Khan grew up in Gulmarg, Kashmir, where his father operates a tour company and ski equipment shop.
And Khan said his main goal in Beijing is to encourage people to see his hometown as a vacation spot for winter sports.
鈥淭his will inspire the next generation, and will introduce India as a skiing destination for the rest of the world,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was my main motive for being here in the Olympics, (to) introduce my country as a skiing destination.
鈥淲e have high mountains, huge mountains, with gondolas and chairlifts 鈥� I鈥檓 trying to promote more about Alpine racing there.鈥�
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Daniella Matar, The Associated Press
