Just getting to the start at Konigsee is a massive achievement for Patrick Singleton.

What happens during the next 48 hours at the Skeleton World Championships in Germany will just be a bonus ? but the early signs are looking good.

Bermuda?s only Winter Olympian has shaved one-tenth of a second of his start, courtesy of a new one-handed push, and has been recording practice times just a second slower than the highly fancied Japanese sliders ? and all this after having to take three days off after a back injury.

Singleton was due to use the Italian Cup in Innsbruck last weekend as a warm-up, but a slip on the ice while returning to his car with his sled after practice left him with a wrenched back.

He skipped the Italian event and then took three days off in a desperate effort to be fit for today?s two descents of the fearsome Konigsee circuit on day one of the championships.

?There was a time when I didn?t think I would be able to compete,? said Singleton from a frozen German phone-box after his penultimate day of practice.

?My back has been killing me some days ? it is very up and down. But it is something I just have to put up with, I have worked too hard to let this go.

?This is the biggest single achievement of my career so far and I am ready for it.

?Things have been going well in practice and I am going down in times about a second slower than the Japanese boys. A lot of the other competitors have raced on this track before and that gives them an edge but despite the problems with my back I have managed to speed up my start.

?I have gone on to a one-handed push, rather than two, and that has made a difference. It is something I have been working on and this will be the first time I have used it.?

Despite being only a second behind the leading sliders, Singleton knows that when it comes down to the serious competition today, things will be a little bit different.

Everyone has two slides today and one tomorrow and, based on the aggregate time over the three runs, only the top 20 get a fourth visit to the track.

And Singleton doesn?t expect to make the cut.

?I can expect to be two-and-a-half seconds behind these boys once they employ all their little tricks on race day,? said Singleton, who knows that wherever he finishes, just being in the event was as much as he hoped to achieve for the season.

?Once they have race suits on and do all the things that the top sliders do, then they will get faster.

?Just being here is my achievement. Of course I am going to do my best, but to have got here so soon after taking up the skeleton is my success.

?I am not nervous, I have nothing to be nervous about. I am here now, all I can do is my best.?