2022 Winter Olympics Day 4 Evening

Cross-Country Skiing Comments from Team GB's Andrew Young and James Clugnet after they finished 36th and 40th in the men's sprint freestyle qualification, with only the top 30 progressing. They will compete together in the team sprint on 16 February and as individuals in the 15km classic on Friday, while Young will also go in the 50km mass start free on the 19 February. Andrew Young Age: 29 Hometown: Norway; Trondheim Result: 36th On the race "It was quite a good race, I think. I skied quite well technically and felt quite good on the skis. I managed to push quite well. "Obviously I'm three weeks away from having Covid so my top physical shape just isn't there. "I'm missing the speed and missing what I need to go through in the qualification. "I'm actually quite pleased with how I skied and I'm on track to keep improving." On the rest of the Games "I think I'll get better and better the further I get away from illness. I'll get better every day that goes by and today's race will make me better in the following races. "I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and I've got three events left. "I'm really looking forward to the team event with Jimmy, I'll keep my head down, keep working and hope to get better every day." James Clugnet Age: 25 Hometown: Norway; Trondheim Result: 40th On the race "That was a hard one. Not quite the race that I was hoping to do. I pushed as hard as I could and it didn't work out. "I should be good enough to qualify in a race like this. I felt better yesterday, actually, but I really gave it all on this course. "My vision was blurry and I was seeing stars at the finish line - so I don't think there are many races when I've pushed as hard as this. "The fact it didn't work - we'll have to talk a bit about it with my coaches. "I've always performed my best at championships, so it's a bit boring that today it didn't work out. But 40th is still an OK result at the Olympics. "We'll try to do better on team sprint next week and it can only get better from here." Speed Skating Comments from Cornelius Kersten after he finished 19th in the men's 1500m becoming Team GB's first male long track speed skater since 1992. Kersten will race again in the 500m on Saturday and the 1000m on 18 February. Cornelius Kersten Age: 27 Hometown: Netherlands; Heemstede Result: 19th On his race "It felt good. In the last few days I was feeling ready and then when you get here you're soaking up the experience, and we had the opening ceremony which was beautiful as well. "Then I was like 'It's game time now, get ready to go'. We had a gameplan for the race and we set that out, and most of that worked out. "It was just a really nice way to start off my races at these Games. For what I'd planned, that all worked out so I was really happy about that. "The last lap just hurt a bit more than I expected it to do. But it's all good." On both himself and partner Ellia Smeding becoming GB's first long track speed skating Olympians for 30 years "It means the world to me. I've said before that it's a childhood dream come true to be here. "At that start line I was a bit emotional as well. I was thinking back to everything we'd worked for. "And also, just helping to put long track back on the map [for Team GB] again, I'm really proud to be able to do that. "And especially being able to go through this experience with Ellia makes it even more special." On wearing the Team GB kit "It's different from World Cups! It's so much more special to have the lion on there as well. It makes me so proud. "Every day I put on a different piece of kit and I'm just standing there like, woah, this is it." On his hopes for his races still to come "The same as today really. I'm going to set up new gameplans for the other distances. "We're just going to set up a race plan, see what we're going to do that day and then if I achieve that then I'll have a good day. "On the ice today, I left everything there. I can honestly say I couldn't have done anything faster than that today. That's the goal I have for every race."