Patrick Singleton is prepared to walk away from the sport that has made him a world-wide celebrity.

After charming millions during the Winter Olympics, the 23-year-old Bermudian yesterday said lack of funding and the pursuit of a career has him contemplating retirement.

"That's a very difficult question to answer,'' replied Singleton when asked of his future plans. He returned to the Island last week for the first time since his 27th-place finish in the luge at the Nagano Games in February.

"(But) If I can get the Bermuda Government to give a commitment, then I will definitely be interested (in returning to the World Cup circuit next season).

Otherwise, it's too difficult to operate on a shoestring budget and find a job that will let you take off and train for several months.'' Singleton said he was prepared to focus on the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, but to do so he needed to hook up with a larger team -- preferably the United States. Training with the Americans, on the track that will host the Games, could mean a top ten finish, he said.

But that doesn't come cheap. Singleton said it would cost him about $15,000 per season to compete. And he would also need up to $3,000 for a new sled, after his old one was demolished in a training crash and a borrowed one left him well behind the field in Japan.

He has three options: 1) the Bermuda Olympic Association's elite athletes assistance programme 2) corporate sponsorship or 3) the Olympic Solidarity Movement, which underwrote much of his expenses last year.

BOA president Austin Woods said yesterday Singleton would be eligible for funding -- but first he and the Bermuda Luge Federation needed to make a formal request, complete with a record of his performances.

"He probably would receive money if he tells us what his plans are,'' said Woods. Just how much he would get depends on what level he has reached, Woods added.

Athletes such as Brian Wellman receive $18,000 per year but because luge is a relatively new discipline in Bermuda, Singleton may have to make do with about $12,000.

Whatever the amount, Singleton acknowledged that he would have to decide quickly.

"If I'm going to go for Salt Lake, I have to know by the middle of the summer because I'd like to make a dedicated attempt at it,'' he said.

Funding is only part of the dilemma. A graduate of Elon College in North Carolina, he also needs to decide what the sport will cost in terms of a career. "To be 27 and not have any job experience can be very difficult,'' he said.

Bermuda residents, and even hundreds in the US, were so moved by Singleton's exploits that they donated money to a trust fund in his name.

But celebrityhood -- sparked by stories that inevitably linked him to the Jamaican bobsleigh team, and then an IBM commercial that showed him riding atop the family car along Horseshoe Beach -- has a way of fading.

He did "hundreds'' of interviews in Japan before and after the Games and was even offered a job in Tokyo.

Singleton remains slight, polite and almost sheepish about his popularity, saying "the media created this whole thing. I didn't.'' "This was just something that was part of the Olympics. I never stopped being Patrick Singleton of Bermuda.'' But he admitted the intrigue was undeniable. "I mean, a luger from Bermuda.

You have to pinch yourself,'' he laughs.

One thing that won't leave him is the memory. He admitted he still dreamt of his runs down the icy track, of spectators blowing air horns and the image of fans flashing by. And he remains almost overwhelmed by the emotion of the closing ceremonies, of eating dinner with the likes of hockey star Wayne Gretzky, and of chatting with pixie-like figure skater Tara Lipinksi.

Lipinski has gone on to turn professional and her gold medal has resulted in a fortune in endorsements. Is Singleton envious? Not a chance.

"I wouldn't give my Olympic experience for any amount of money. No one is going to take this away from me.'' "I didn't do luge for fame or money. I did it because I love the sport and love to compete. And to able to compete for your country is something else.'' Even the Olympics, he said, were merely a bonus. "My goal was to race each race as best I could. I never thought about training for the Olympics. But now that I've finished one Olympics, I want to go to the next.'' RUBBING SHOULDERS -- Bermuda luger Patrick Singleton enjoyed the company of US figure skater, tiny Tara Lipinksi at the Winter Olympics.