Huai Mingming spoke to reporters in the same way she raced down the specially-designed ice track at the National Sliding Center on Monday: with an air of self-possession and infallible perseverance, with an unwavering and unrelenting commitment to excellence and reliability.

The 26-year-old, who, along with compatriot Ying Qing, became the first Chinese women ever to compete at the Olympic's inaugural monobob event, is not used to being in the spotlight. But when she is, she tends to be brutally honest about her failings and flaws.

"I did a poor job on the start today and didn't quite perform to the level I normally do in training," observed Huai, who finished a respectable sixth with a four-run combined time of 4 minutes 22.58 seconds. American veteran Kaillie Humphries powered to victory ahead of teammate Elana Meyers Taylor, while Canada's Christine de Bruin won bronze.

Unlike in the traditional bobsleigh showdowns, where two or four athletes either push or pilot a sled down the track, monobob features only one athlete, who is tasked with multiple jobs during the whole process. The women's-only event requires all competitors to use the same type of sled, leveling the playing field for those who have typically found it harder to access high-tech gear.

While the priority has shifted from technology to athletic skill, Huai admitted it has been a steep learning curve but believed the experience will benefit her career.

"I usually practice two-woman bobsleigh in training, so I struggled a lot today when I had to push the sled alone," she said. "I'm going to focus on improving my muscle strength and trying to gain more weight."

"The best thing about high level foreign athletes is their ability to adapt and adjust. Although they are not as familiar with the course as our Chinese racers, they can always adapt to the course in the shortest possible time. This is an area where I need to strengthen my skills in the future," she added.

Huai is a fast learner and has made tremendous progress in recent years. In March 2019, she only managed 10th at the World Championships in Whistler, Canada. In January this year, she had her best monobob result at the World Series event, finishing fourth in Sigulda, Latvia.

While securing a sixth-place finish in monobob at her first Olympics is surely another personal milestone, Huai has set her sights on the two-woman event on Friday. "I will adjust my mood and condition as soon as possible to have a better performance in my next event and leave no regrets," she declared.

This point is echoed by Huai's teammate Ying, who finished ninth in monobob, but leaves no doubt that she will emerge from these Games a better racer.

"I'm extremely delighted to make my Olympic debut. Competing at home in Beijing gives me a great sense of security and makes me feel proud to be Chinese," beamed the 25-year-old. "I made some technical mistakes today, so I'll have to take stock of them and try to bring out my full potential next time."

(Reporting from the Yanqing competition zone)