Armin Zoeggeler handed hosts Italy their first gold medal of the Turin Games by jealously defending his men's singles luge title on Sunday.
The 2002 champion thrilled the home fans by mastering the tricky Cesana track throughout the two-day event to underline his status as the master of the risky sport.
The 32-year-old with the trademark silver helmet, who had built his victory by clocking the fastest time in each of Saturday's first two runs, managed to stay in control in the final two to end the contest with a combined winning time of three minutes 26.088 seconds.
"One mistake and it would have been all over," said the five-times world champion, who worried his supporters by posting only the second and fifth-fastest times respectively in Sunday's decisive runs.
"The track was extremely difficult and quick," added the Italian, whose victory sparked roars of approval from the partisan crowd.
Russia's European champion Albert Demtschenko claimed the silver medal, 0.110 second back, while Martins Rubenis won the bronze, 0.357 second off the pace, to present Latvia with their first ever medal from Winter Olympics.
"I'm happy with the silver," said Demtschenko, who challenged Zoeggeler with the fastest time in the penultimate run.
"I didn't think I had a chance for gold because Armin is so strong and this is his home track," he added.
Rubenis's feat was met by wild celebrations from an enthusiastic Latvian contingent.
"The Latvian fans are the best in the world," said Rubenis. "You knew it from the ice hockey, now you know it from the luge."
Triple Olympic champion Georg Hackl of Germany, 39, missed out on a medal in the last competition of his prolific career, finishing seventh after uncharacteristic error-ridden runs.
The prolific Bavarian, who had never won anything less than silver from his five previous Olympic appearances, retires with his place in the history of the sport secured.
"I was hoping for a better result but my starts were not good enough," said Hackl, nicknamed the "Speeding Sausage" for the way he squeezes his stocky frame into a tight racing suit.
"Those were great Games with a fantastic crowd and that was a good way to quit," he added.
There was disappointment also for Tony Benshoof, who was hoping to become the first American to win an Olympic medal from an individual luge event. he had to be content with fourth.
