CQU business management student Faisal Faisal is close to achieving his dream of becoming the first Iraqi to represent his country in the Winter Olympics.

The Sydney International Campus student has already attracted the attention of the world's media by competing in the sport of skeleton (which involves sliding head first on a small sled down a bobsled track).

He has settled on skeleton as the most likely route to the Olympics after previously trying Alpine skiing, snowboarding and speed skating. He even considered ski jumping at one point.

More recently, the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation and the US Olympic Committee have backed his quest and the Iraqi National Olympic Committee has now recognised him as an athlete.

The Iraqi Olympic Committee has already formed a winter sports committee consisting of a skeleton federation and they have already applied to 'Olympic solidarity' for Faisal's Olympic scholarship so Iraq can participate at the Games through him.

Faisal's recent competition in an America's Cup race at Lake Placid (New York) was a success. Despite missing the cut for the finals, he came 30th out of 37 competitors and earned praise from his adopted American coach.

His tenacious battle also earned coverage from media organisations worldwide, including USA Today, The Washington Post, the New York Times, Australia's Fox Sports, the NBC Today Show, CBS Sportsline, the Associated Press, the major Italian newspaper 'La Republicca', the Washington-based Arabic Channel Al-Hurra and via Al-Jazeera around the Arab world.

Faisal has recently been approached by a French filmmaker and also official IOC filmmaker Bud Greenspan who is planning a segment for the Showtime cable channel or ESPN.

The 2006 Winter Olympics will be held in Turin, Italy in 2006.

Photos courtesy of the United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.