Bermuda winter sports star Patrick Singleton's `luge' success in qualifying for the Winter Olympics is set to give Bermuda's beaches exposure to three billion people across the world.

For Mr. Singleton -- who earlier this month became only the second Bermudian ever to qualify for the Winter Olympics -- has been picked from thousands of athletes from all over the world to feature in a series of adverts paid for computer giants IBM, a major sponsor of the Games.

And a camera crew has visited the Island, filming Mr. Singleton speeding down the Airport runway on his luge -- the one-man sled -- and at locations like Horseshoe Bay and Church Bay.

Mr. Singleton, 23, explained the theme of the adverts was "Look For Me'' -- an IBM tribute to the minnows of the winter sports world.

He said: "I sold them on the idea that training in Bermuda was a bit unorthodox compared to other countries and asked them to shoot it in Bermuda.

"They chose the people who had the most interesting stories -- now around 3 billion people will see it at the opening ceremony and throughout the Games.

"It was such a beautiful day when the camera crew did their shooting. I saw the footage and it was absolutely amazing.

"It will be great publicity for Bermuda -- to be able to do something like this for my Country feels just as good as qualifying for the Olympics.'' Mr. Singleton qualified for the Winter Olympics at a competition in Austria earlier this month.

The former competitive sailor lowered his sails and took to the slopes nearly two years ago after being taken under the wing of Bermudian luger Simon Payne, who became the Island's first Winter Olympian in 1992.

Mr. Payne -- now a Policeman -- took up the sport while serving in the British Army. Mr. Singleton got hooked at a dry-land luge camp run by Mr. Payne.

Mr. Singleton has since trained in France, Germany, Canada and Austria under a Romanian coach.

He won a bronze medal earlier this month at a Nations Cup Olympic qualifier in France, becoming the first Bermudian to win a medal in the luge.

Mr. Singleton's Olympic qualification only days later mirrors the Jamaican bobsleigh team's surprise appearance at the Winter Olympics in Norway in 1984.

The Jamaicans did not capture a medal but won the hearts of the world and inspired the comedy movie "Cool Runnings'' about their exploits.

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