The world's slowest racer?

Win-Jack Pai of Taiwan unfortunately made history yesterday by recording the slowest-ever time in a world championship race.

'Eddie the Eagle' was once thought to have no peers, but just when you thought this didn't happen now in major compeititions, Win-Jack Pai arrived to prove himslef as the world's slowest racer.

Pai, a 36-year-old architect from Taiwan, carved this niche in skiing history when he recorded the slowest time ever in the first run of the Men's Giant Slalom. He eventually crossed the finishing line at St Anton in Austria in 6:22.4 mins - over five minutes behind leader Kjetil Andre Aamodt of Norway.

Although painful to watch and causing commentators to collapse in fits of laughter, Pai refused to throw in the towel - despite losing his skis and falling several times - and was roared home by a sympathetic crowd.

"I just wanted to finish," he said afterwards. "I kept going because all the people were cheering for me."

Pai snow-ploughed most of the course, but fell over three times and twice found himself going the wrong way. Thanks to the efforts of some friendly stewards, who pointed him in the right direction and located his missing skis, he was still able to fulfil his dream.

"The people on the course were really nice," said Pai, who did not take up skiing until he was 28. Undaunted by his experience, he now plans to follow in the footsteps of Eddie Edwards and super-slow swimmer Eric the Eel Moussambani by competing at the Olympics.

He concedes the odds are stacked against him, particularly considering one Morrocan skier finished ahead of him despite the fact he was racing with his arm in a sling after dislocating his shoulder.

"I just want to get better," he said. "But in Taiwan there is basically no snow, which is kind of a problem."

Pai was disqualified from taking part in the second run due to the help he received on the course. Now we will never know whether he could have made up his five minute deficit...