Day 2, Part 3

0:00:37 > 0:00:43Hello, and welcome to our balcony here at the Pyeongchang Winter

0:00:43 > 0:00:48Olympics for day two of the action. Day one brought the first medals of

0:00:48 > 0:00:51the games, excitement, drama and a bit of GB disappointment but

0:00:51 > 0:00:57ultimately it was a great start. Day two will have more of the same.

0:00:57 > 0:01:01Unfortunately the weather has proved a bit of a problem today. The

0:01:01 > 0:01:05temperature has fallen dramatically and the wind has been a real

0:01:05 > 0:01:09problem. It meant a postponement of the men's

0:01:09 > 0:01:13downhill and super-g skiing which will take place later in the week

0:01:13 > 0:01:16and the cancellation of the women's snowboard slopestyle which was

0:01:16 > 0:01:21including Aimee Fuller for Team GB. That will run as a straight final

0:01:21 > 0:01:26tomorrow but we do have plenty to keep us warm today. I'd like you to

0:01:26 > 0:01:30let us know what you are up to. Tell us who you are looking out for, who

0:01:30 > 0:01:35you are watching and what events you are really excited to see. Use the

0:01:35 > 0:01:40hashtag BBC Olympics. We will start our BBC Two coverage at the Alpensia

0:01:40 > 0:01:44Cross-Country Centre where the two Brits are in action at the

0:01:44 > 0:01:49skiathlon. Team GB's real medal hope Andrew Musgrave is among them. From

0:01:49 > 0:01:54the Huntley Nordic Centre in north-east Scotland committee comes

0:01:54 > 0:01:59in with a real chance of a medal. We had a disappointing Olympic Games

0:01:59 > 0:02:03in Scotland, he felt that he overtrained but now he feels he is

0:02:03 > 0:02:05at his peak. Graham Bell went to meet him as he prepared for

0:02:05 > 0:02:12Pyeongchang.

0:02:17 > 0:02:22Pyeongchang, your third Winter Olympics. What have you learned from

0:02:22 > 0:02:25Vancouver and Sochi?When I first went to Vancouver, I was still a

0:02:25 > 0:02:31junior. I wasn't that experienced. I was definitely going to find out

0:02:31 > 0:02:36what the Olympics was like. I went to Sochi, and I did slightly

0:02:36 > 0:02:39underperform compared to how I thought I should be able to do. But

0:02:39 > 0:02:46I've learned a lot, especially after Sochi about peak form, dealing with

0:02:46 > 0:02:50pressure, things like that. A lot more experience going into these

0:02:50 > 0:02:55games compared to last time.You won the Norwegian championship is ahead

0:02:55 > 0:02:59of Sochi. That got you a lot of press. Did it put extra pressure on

0:02:59 > 0:03:04you ahead of Sochi too?I think I was affected by it. I trained

0:03:04 > 0:03:13digital too card, did a little too much in the lead up, I let things go

0:03:13 > 0:03:17to my head. It's one of the things I've learned.And in Sochi you said

0:03:17 > 0:03:22you skied like a tranquillised badger. Why a badger?Is a good

0:03:22 > 0:03:27question! It was the first thing that came into my head, I was so

0:03:27 > 0:03:31annoyed with the race, I was never going to be a favourite for a medal

0:03:31 > 0:03:35but I should have done better.The guy that you beat, just weeks

0:03:35 > 0:03:45before, won the gold.He was too good on the day, what a spectacle! I

0:03:45 > 0:03:48outperformed myself on that day, if I did the same in the Olympics I

0:03:48 > 0:03:52could have been there fighting for a medal but now I feel I should be

0:03:52 > 0:04:00able to be at that level without having a super exceptional day.And

0:04:00 > 0:04:05what of the British team have that gives them an advantage over the

0:04:05 > 0:04:10Norwegians or the Swedes, or the Russians? What gives you an edge?I

0:04:10 > 0:04:15think the fact that we are a small team. Sometimes it is a disadvantage

0:04:15 > 0:04:19but sometimes it can be an advantage. We look at things

0:04:19 > 0:04:22differently, we come from a different background. Big teams,

0:04:22 > 0:04:26they do the same things but they have always done. They have a big

0:04:26 > 0:04:30structure and it can be hard to change. We can come in and think of

0:04:30 > 0:04:34things we've done differently that may have worked, that they'd never

0:04:34 > 0:04:38thought of trying.It's looking good for Pyeongchang. Which disciplines,

0:04:38 > 0:04:45which events, are you targeting?The 15 kilometre is a skate race. That

0:04:45 > 0:04:51will pretty much be my main event. The 30 kilometre is a combination of

0:04:51 > 0:05:01classic, the first 15 kilometres classic, then the next 15 skiing. I

0:05:01 > 0:05:04finish my best style. Those two races are the ones that I am

0:05:04 > 0:05:12targeting.And what are your hopes and expectations from Pyeongchang?I

0:05:12 > 0:05:15was forced into the World Championships last year, I feel I'm

0:05:15 > 0:05:19a better skier this year than last year. This year is realistic for me

0:05:19 > 0:05:25to be fighting for a medal in the 30 K and the 15 K. Bring home a medal,

0:05:25 > 0:05:33that is the goal! We are not far away from the

0:05:33 > 0:05:36skiathlon at the moment. Andrew Musgrave and Callum Smith of Team GB

0:05:36 > 0:05:40going in that. Rob Walker is our commentator for the cross-country. A

0:05:40 > 0:05:44little earlier this week, I went with them to the Alpensia

0:05:44 > 0:05:47Cross-Country Centre for him to look at the course in his own special

0:05:47 > 0:05:51way...

0:05:51 > 0:05:55This is the main arena for the cross-country skiing here at

0:05:55 > 0:05:59Pyeongchang. A total of 12 gold medals will be won here in one of

0:05:59 > 0:06:03the Winter Olympics most gruelling sports. I'm just waiting for Rob

0:06:03 > 0:06:09Walker. He will do a bit of a run around with me... What are you

0:06:09 > 0:06:18doing?I'm off!But... What? It is -16 degrees out here, I'm not doing

0:06:18 > 0:06:27that! I'm off to get some transport! # Keep on running... #

0:06:27 > 0:06:31I'm nice and warm, I don't know about you, but we do have British

0:06:31 > 0:06:34interests who could do good stuff around the slopes.Annika Taylor is

0:06:34 > 0:06:39competing for the first time, Callum Smith is back for his second games,

0:06:39 > 0:06:43and Andrew Young is back for a third. We have the rock star Andrew

0:06:43 > 0:06:47Musgrave and there is so much hope and expectation. We do need to be

0:06:47 > 0:06:51careful. We shouldn't be hanging a medal around his neck but the fact

0:06:51 > 0:06:54that we are even talking about him being a potential medallist shows

0:06:54 > 0:07:02how far he has come and what he's done to raise the profile of

0:07:02 > 0:07:04cross-country skiing in Britain. I really hope he gets a medal. We are

0:07:04 > 0:07:07looking at at least one top ten finish and it would be fantastic.It

0:07:07 > 0:07:10would be amazing but it is cold. You are shivering. Will we check out

0:07:10 > 0:07:18more of the course? And you go! Are getting my transport, shall I? -- I

0:07:18 > 0:07:28will get in my transport, shall I? # Keep on running... #

0:07:28 > 0:07:35Go on, Rob! This is a real example of some of

0:07:35 > 0:07:39the steep climbs, and the steep descent switch up in this race.This

0:07:39 > 0:07:44is brutal! You can see the gradient now. They make it look quite easy.

0:07:44 > 0:07:49This may not look very technical at the moment but there is a very steep

0:07:49 > 0:07:52downhill section. There will be some tumbles because as they try and

0:07:52 > 0:07:55coming towards the finish, there will be jostling for a position.

0:07:55 > 0:08:00That is why it is so good to watch. You should we watch out for?The

0:08:00 > 0:08:08Norwegians, this sport is in their blood. As far as the men are

0:08:08 > 0:08:11concerned, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo has won nine of 12 World Cup races

0:08:11 > 0:08:15this season. He is 21 years old and even the Norwegians are staggered by

0:08:15 > 0:08:19what he's doing on the World Cup circuit. Surely he will get his

0:08:19 > 0:08:24first Winter Olympic gold, even a second or a third? As far as the

0:08:24 > 0:08:27women are concerned, there is a lot of excitement surrounding Marit

0:08:27 > 0:08:32Bjorgen, competing in her last Winter Games. She is in decent form

0:08:32 > 0:08:45and will be keen to go out in style. Cool!What was that? I've just been

0:08:45 > 0:08:50having a cup of tea! How was the cause?Older than I am used to. I've

0:08:50 > 0:08:56been a club runner and a fun run since I can remember. -- older. I've

0:08:56 > 0:08:58never run anywhere as beautiful as this. It is absolutely stunning

0:08:58 > 0:09:05here. Stunning. I can't wait for the start.There's not much I had to say

0:09:05 > 0:09:11about that! Incredible for Rob Walker. Now he's in the commentary

0:09:11 > 0:09:14box alongside Ollie Williams. All I can say, Polycom is I hope for

0:09:14 > 0:09:21your sake his trousers are on!We are all good! You should see the

0:09:21 > 0:09:25amount of attention he got from Norwegian journalists for that, they

0:09:25 > 0:09:29loved you, Rob, didn't they?They thought I was crazy but if you

0:09:29 > 0:09:32cannot do cross-country skiing, it's the best way to get a taste of the

0:09:32 > 0:09:37hills and how tough the course is going to be. Welcome to our second

0:09:37 > 0:09:41medal.

0:09:41 > 0:09:45If this race is half as good as the women's skiathlon from yesterday, we

0:09:45 > 0:09:50are in for a treat. Double the distance the women did yesterday,

0:09:50 > 0:09:58this was -- they did 15 kilometres, this is 30. Four circuits, in the

0:09:58 > 0:10:02classic style, then four in freestyle, that is Andrew Musgrave's

0:10:02 > 0:10:05favourite technique. It is understand rumours grow for we will

0:10:05 > 0:10:11keep an eye on. There are a host of world-class men who are all out for

0:10:11 > 0:10:15a slice of Winter Olympic history. We have touched on Johannes Hoesflot

0:10:15 > 0:10:22Klaebo. The 21-year-old, without a doubt, is the sport's new sensation

0:10:22 > 0:10:31this season, picking up the mantle from the greats before him. If

0:10:31 > 0:10:34Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo wins today, he will be breaking a record that

0:10:34 > 0:10:41has stood for 30 years. I should mention as well here's compatriot,

0:10:41 > 0:10:44the 33-year-old master of consistency in the skiathlon, hoping

0:10:44 > 0:10:51to build on a bronze medal behind the defending champion here in

0:10:51 > 0:10:54fabulous form, Dario Cologna. Winning a record-breaking fourth

0:10:54 > 0:11:00toured a ski. Magnificent when he won four years ago. But the new rock

0:11:00 > 0:11:06star of cross-country skiing is Klaebo. A lot of people are very

0:11:06 > 0:11:11excited to see what he can do. Four podiums this year for Maurice

0:11:11 > 0:11:18Manificat. His third games. 84 years ago. But Dario Cologna is bidding to

0:11:18 > 0:11:24become the third man to successfully defend the title. In the old days,

0:11:24 > 0:11:28skiathlon was referred to as the combined pursuit. It is the ultimate

0:11:28 > 0:11:33test of all-round cross-country skiing ability. Here is the

0:11:33 > 0:11:41line-up... Wearing bib Number 10, Andrew Musgrave. We are so excited

0:11:41 > 0:11:45about his chances here. Ollie, I do think that we need to be realistic.

0:11:45 > 0:11:50The last two World Championships committee has been in 12 and 11. He

0:11:50 > 0:11:53is going to smash the best performance ever by a British

0:11:53 > 0:12:00cross-country skiing, 29th in Sochi four years ago. Now we know he has

0:12:00 > 0:12:04come to terms with being prepared for a major event. He missed the

0:12:04 > 0:12:10medal in the 50 K last year. A top ten or top 15 would be superb here,

0:12:10 > 0:12:15bearing in mind his best event is coming up in the 15 kilometre on

0:12:15 > 0:12:20Friday?That's the point, he isn't focusing on this event. If he gets

0:12:20 > 0:12:26into the top 15, even the top ten, he will be doing very well indeed to

0:12:26 > 0:12:31get that far. This is good preparation for what is coming up

0:12:31 > 0:12:39later this week...And we just saw Callum Smith's name, he went to

0:12:39 > 0:12:44Huntly. For an open day of training. He was bitten by the bug, a graduate

0:12:44 > 0:12:50in chemical engineering. Full-time now in Lily hammer. Here come these

0:12:50 > 0:12:56Herculean man, ready for what promises to be about one hour ten

0:12:56 > 0:13:01minutes, one hour 15 minutes of enthralling drama. Alex Harvey wears

0:13:01 > 0:13:05bib number four, hoping to become the first male Canadian

0:13:05 > 0:13:10cross-country skiing medallist in the Winter Olympics. He set history

0:13:10 > 0:13:14a few years ago, winning the team sprint gold in the championships in

0:13:14 > 0:13:222011. Farcical comes first and Harvey has stayed at number one.

0:13:22 > 0:13:27Klaebo there. Harvey has said in a press conference before the games

0:13:27 > 0:13:37began, he thinks the Norwegians, not necessarily the likes of Klaebo, but

0:13:37 > 0:13:43number seven

0:13:43 > 0:13:49number seven Krueger, and the number five Holund, will be able to skew

0:13:49 > 0:13:52them out their legs. Maurice Manificat is back for his third

0:13:52 > 0:13:57games.

0:13:57 > 0:14:03games. There is the toured a ski champion, Dario Cologna, so good at

0:14:03 > 0:14:07picking out the right time. Alex Harvey there, a podium in three of

0:14:07 > 0:14:13his last four World Cup races. They skiathlon bronze medallist back in

0:14:13 > 0:14:18the Worlds in 2015. Hans Christer Holund, and in the Lillehammer

0:14:18 > 0:14:24skiathlon he was third. He had Achilles' heel surgery ten years

0:14:24 > 0:14:29ago, now he is in top form. And what about Martin Johnsrud Sundby? Bronze

0:14:29 > 0:14:37four years ago, second in the World Championships last year. He has

0:14:37 > 0:14:44described, by the way, his compatriot is almost embarrassing,

0:14:44 > 0:14:47Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, he is that good. Simen Hegstad Krueger is

0:14:47 > 0:14:55rested, his first games. He has not raced since December. Then, Iivo

0:14:55 > 0:15:02Niskanen, his sister was 60th in the women's skiathlon yesterday. --

0:15:02 > 0:15:0716th. A good representation from the French, in his fourth games, we have

0:15:07 > 0:15:10Jean Marc Gaillard. Then Andrew Musgrave, proudly representing

0:15:10 > 0:15:14Huntly and Great Britain. Can he produced the greatest performance

0:15:14 > 0:15:21we've seen from a British cross-country skier? We all hope so.

0:15:21 > 0:15:27The First Event In The Men's Cross-country PROGRAMME.

0:15:34 > 0:15:39They are and this is a race we have been looking to for the last few

0:15:39 > 0:15:43months, bearing in mind the form of some of the best in the world.

0:15:43 > 0:15:53There's so much history on the line for so many competing here today.

0:15:53 > 0:15:59Dario Cologna is hoping to become only the third man to send the

0:15:59 > 0:16:04title, Johannes close the club, hoping to become the youngest ever

0:16:04 > 0:16:09champion.

0:16:14 > 0:16:18champion. That was Krueger who fell there. The good news from their

0:16:18 > 0:16:21perspective is that hopefully the pace would be too fast, they will

0:16:21 > 0:16:26have an opportunity to get back. That's Krueger who was fresh and

0:16:26 > 0:16:29arrested for these games. Let's see if we can get another indication as

0:16:29 > 0:16:41to what happened. -- he was fresh and rested.It is Krueger who goes

0:16:41 > 0:16:50down first, you have got Andrey Larkov and Denis Spitsov. You're

0:16:50 > 0:16:58essentially on top of each other, number 11, Andrey Larkov, going into

0:16:58 > 0:17:02the back. But if you have it happen, have it happen now when you have got

0:17:02 > 0:17:05an hour of skiing left and you can get back onto the back of the pack

0:17:05 > 0:17:11and make your way back on. It's too early for that to be a race ending

0:17:11 > 0:17:15incident but that will unsettle someone like Krueger who needs a new

0:17:15 > 0:17:23pole already, and your race plan is out of the window.That's especially

0:17:23 > 0:17:27relevant when you bear in mind what Alex Harvey was talking about before

0:17:27 > 0:17:29the race, saying that he thought Krueger was going to be one of the

0:17:29 > 0:17:34classical ski specialist who would really force the pace. Well, he has

0:17:34 > 0:17:41got some work to do to get back onside with the likes of even this

0:17:41 > 0:17:54can. For a split second I thought it was Andrew Musgrave. -- he is

0:17:54 > 0:17:59was Andrew Musgrave. -- he is behind the finish rider.

0:18:00 > 0:18:05It is not just Krueger who was looking to go out hard early on, it

0:18:05 > 0:18:10was people like Hans Christer Holund as well, and he now does not have

0:18:10 > 0:18:13that person beside him. Because if you can make a break and get away

0:18:13 > 0:18:21from Klaebo, amazing young all-round athlete, you got to hope if it's a

0:18:21 > 0:18:26sprint at the end, then Klaebo will be the man who wins it. You need to

0:18:26 > 0:18:40break away.The cat is 18 seconds at the moment. Simon Alex Tait

0:18:41 > 0:18:45-- Simon Hickey at

0:18:45 > 0:18:53we will keep an eye on whether he can close the gap. He is meant to be

0:18:53 > 0:18:58sharing pacemaking duties with Hans Christer Holund, and Klaebo has been

0:18:58 > 0:19:08quite happy to... Another for live there, the Lithuanian. Just coming

0:19:08 > 0:19:16on stock on the -- coming off on the corner. It is very cold today, it

0:19:16 > 0:19:23was -16 when I was going around jogging, and these men are going at

0:19:23 > 0:19:29peak capacity. It's very, very cold, by far the coldest day we have had

0:19:29 > 0:19:38in the last five or six days.Yes, -16 or 17 on the back of the course.

0:19:38 > 0:19:44The other athletes did well there, Callum Smith from Great Britain also

0:19:44 > 0:19:50fell as well and did very well to recover quickly and get back up.

0:19:50 > 0:19:53It's cold and windy. You have got ten miles an hour wind, that's not

0:19:53 > 0:20:01going to help people get away in the front.

0:20:01 > 0:20:04front. It's good to be harder to get off the front and try to break

0:20:04 > 0:20:16Klaebo.A reminder, it's four circuits, 3.75 kilometres in a

0:20:16 > 0:20:19classical technique when they stick to the tracks and then they come in

0:20:19 > 0:20:28for a pit stop before they change skis. Then they will be skiing

0:20:28 > 0:20:30freestyle, that's the discipline where Andrew Musgrave becomes most

0:20:30 > 0:20:37comfortable. When he was 11th in the world champions last year, he was

0:20:37 > 0:20:41the 22nd fastest on the classical half and the fourth fastest on the

0:20:41 > 0:20:45freestyle. So if he's there or thereabouts at halfway, then maybe,

0:20:45 > 0:20:52we could see something very special indeed. But Iivo Niskanen not

0:20:52 > 0:20:58hanging around, deciding he wants to take it on. Maybe you has realised

0:20:58 > 0:21:02that one of the two men who would argue "Push the pace on the

0:21:02 > 0:21:08classical half is off the back. At the last checkpoint he was 18

0:21:08 > 0:21:12seconds adrift, we will keep you posted how much closer he is.

0:21:20 > 0:21:27I think that's Krueger has had replaced the Dutch trucker I think

0:21:27 > 0:21:35that Niskanen has had to replace the Norwegian athlete. He is only young,

0:21:35 > 0:21:4226, he does not have a skiathlon background. He is more 15 K, same as

0:21:42 > 0:21:45Andrew Musgrave. He maybe feels his only chance is to get off the front

0:21:45 > 0:21:49and bring a few other people with them. They need more than two

0:21:49 > 0:21:56people, you cannot hang at the front for 30 kilometres with two skiers.

0:21:56 > 0:22:00They need to get a few more if they want to make an impact.Meanwhile,

0:22:00 > 0:22:07Niskanen taking on the pacemaking duties at the front with Hans

0:22:07 > 0:22:14Christer Holund behind him. Andrew Musgrave is around seventh or

0:22:14 > 0:22:18eighth, certainly up to the group. And it interesting that Dario

0:22:18 > 0:22:25Cologna, we have not spoken about him because we have had the falling,

0:22:25 > 0:22:30he is nice and steady, ticking along in third place. Andrew Musgrave top

0:22:30 > 0:22:41ten. Which excites cars, from a British point of view, but we are

0:22:41 > 0:22:51not in control of the images so if we don't see him, or he drifts, we

0:22:51 > 0:22:54will try and update you as much as we can as well as updating you on

0:22:54 > 0:23:02Callum Smith. But Niskanen leads at the moment. And even though it's

0:23:02 > 0:23:07bitterly, bitterly cold, this is a long way for these men, respecting

0:23:07 > 0:23:13the fact that the hydration needs are very much there. The golden rule

0:23:13 > 0:23:16in any sport, if you get to the stage of being thirsty, you are

0:23:16 > 0:23:19already dehydrated.

0:23:23 > 0:23:30Andrew Musgrave just disappearing underneath this great shot and there

0:23:30 > 0:23:33he is the right of frame wearing number ten, behind Alex Harvey, the

0:23:33 > 0:23:42Canadian. It really is an absolutely stunning course, this. When you walk

0:23:42 > 0:23:52or run up the top of the first hill, it's a breathtaking vantage point.

0:23:52 > 0:23:57Klaebo is two seconds behind but nothing to read in that. He's right

0:23:57 > 0:24:03there. The more important deficit will do that involving Krueger which

0:24:03 > 0:24:11was up at 18 seconds after he fell. It's now about 27 seconds. So there

0:24:11 > 0:24:20is essentially one big pack of athletes. You could see Krueger come

0:24:20 > 0:24:25through now, just behind another 46. He is desperate to try to work back

0:24:25 > 0:24:29to the front because he knows that he cannot have any impact unless he

0:24:29 > 0:24:42gets onto the front and attempt to break.

0:24:43 > 0:24:45Maurice Manificat happy to settle into the middle part of the leading

0:24:45 > 0:24:51group. They are coming in towards the completion of the first of the

0:24:51 > 0:24:59four classical circuits. Niskanen having a little glance over his

0:24:59 > 0:25:05shoulder, Dario Cologna in second. Andrew Musgrave is in around tenth

0:25:05 > 0:25:12place at the moment. 29th is the best performance by a British

0:25:12 > 0:25:18cross-country skier, and it was his own, disappointing performance in

0:25:18 > 0:25:27Sochi, he thought he was capable to at least get to the semifinal in the

0:25:27 > 0:25:34individual sprint. He's just going through there, Number ten.

0:25:34 > 0:25:36through there, Number ten. He has dedicated his life to cross-country

0:25:36 > 0:25:40skiing, Andrew Musgrave. His father's job in the oil industry got

0:25:40 > 0:25:50an interest in him. A spell in a car and then in Huntly, a club which has

0:25:50 > 0:25:57inspired many cross-country skiers, and if you go to that club, his 27

0:25:57 > 0:26:04bed from Sochi hangs on the wall alongside Andrew Young's number from

0:26:04 > 0:26:121971 when he greeted in Vancouver. If you are a young skier, no better

0:26:12 > 0:26:16place to go in Britain than the Huntley club which has given birth

0:26:16 > 0:26:23to a more than a few winter Olympians.

0:26:23 > 0:26:31Olympians. So, Iivo Niskanen leads. The Norwegians are quite happy in

0:26:31 > 0:26:37third, fourth and fifth. The only one missing is Krueger who fell in

0:26:37 > 0:26:42that collision with the Russians at the very early stages. There is

0:26:42 > 0:26:51Klaebo. He has been ridiculously good this season.

0:26:51 > 0:26:56good this season. And you were following the ski Federation Twitter

0:26:56 > 0:27:01feed and there are some mixed views amongst the cross-country skiing

0:27:01 > 0:27:04fraternity as to who is the favourite for this one?Yes, they

0:27:04 > 0:27:10put it up to a vote on their Twitter feed earlier on, four athletes,

0:27:10 > 0:27:16which tells its own story, the governing body itself thinks it's

0:27:16 > 0:27:22between formats

0:27:24 > 0:27:29between formats four athletes, and the favourites came out as Klaebo

0:27:29 > 0:27:36and Dario Cologna. The Norwegians love Klaebo, they assume he will

0:27:36 > 0:27:39come home with a lot of medals. The Swedish media hate Klaebo because

0:27:39 > 0:27:45they do not like Norwegians and they don't think he's very good. There

0:27:45 > 0:27:47was a fantastic expression in one of the Swedish newspapers a little

0:27:47 > 0:27:53while ago which basically said words to the effect of that the Norwegian

0:27:53 > 0:28:02press, in "Klaebo in the way they had done, created a sea of

0:28:02 > 0:28:12Norwegians with an ocean of exaggerated hope. Klaebo is very

0:28:12 > 0:28:15young, he has won gold buckles in everything he has competed in, but

0:28:15 > 0:28:22has he competed too much? -- gold medals. If you temper it a bit and

0:28:22 > 0:28:25you don't race so much in the season, maybe you have a better

0:28:25 > 0:28:30chance

0:28:30 > 0:28:36chance in the Olympics and that is where Dario Cologna comes in.

0:28:36 > 0:28:46Yesterday, Norwegian female athletes were looking a little tired, and

0:28:46 > 0:28:51Heidi Weng was clearly suffering. It's interesting because four years

0:28:51 > 0:28:55ago, Dario Cologna's early-season build-up to Sochi was disrupted by

0:28:55 > 0:29:00an injury, he was on the exercise bike for months and it was quite a

0:29:00 > 0:29:05bad run. As a result, he came into Sochi very fresh, won the skiathlon

0:29:05 > 0:29:12and defended his 15 K title. This year, he has competed in and won the

0:29:12 > 0:29:19tour to ski for a record fourth time but I see parallels between Cologna

0:29:19 > 0:29:25and Charlotte Kalla, he is a proven winner, not just on that but in the

0:29:25 > 0:29:30Winter Olympic context and he knows what it takes to peak for a big

0:29:30 > 0:29:36occasion. And a lot of people feel as though Cologna could be only the

0:29:36 > 0:29:43third man

0:29:43 > 0:29:48third man to successfully defend his title.

0:29:49 > 0:29:56title. Niskanen leading, it's a real shame on an individual level for

0:29:56 > 0:29:58Simen Hegstad Krueger because classical is his best technique and

0:29:58 > 0:30:02it must have been a real shock for him. Just one of those things that

0:30:02 > 0:30:07he was a man who fell with the two Olympic athlete representing Russia

0:30:07 > 0:30:12just behind him.

0:30:24 > 0:30:27Nonetheless, Krueger's challenge looks as though it has gone. We will

0:30:27 > 0:30:38keep you posted on those times, to see whether he can close the gap.

0:30:38 > 0:30:4218, Clement Parisse. He comes here with a little bit of form. But at

0:30:42 > 0:30:52the moment, we have Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo in third. Alex

0:30:52 > 0:30:57Harvey of Canada is in sixth place, wearing big number four. Similar to

0:30:57 > 0:31:02the Norwegian outfit that it does not have blue stripes on the base of

0:31:02 > 0:31:09his quads. That's how you tell the difference.An interesting story for

0:31:09 > 0:31:13Canada, probably his last Olympics come on the verge of retiring. Like

0:31:13 > 0:31:20Andrew Musgrave, he has spent the last decade spending time trying to

0:31:20 > 0:31:25get a degree. To become a lawyer. He is as good a male cross-country

0:31:25 > 0:31:30skier that Canada has ever produced but they have not won and Olympic

0:31:30 > 0:31:35Nordic skiing medal, that's all he wants, a medal of any colour, he

0:31:35 > 0:31:41says. The skiathlon, for him, he was a world bronze medallist. He

0:31:41 > 0:31:44considers himself a medal contender and says it is his favourite event.

0:31:44 > 0:31:47He is going to be in the top five mix. If nothing goes wrong for

0:31:47 > 0:31:57him...You certainly has the pedigree, third in 15. Then just off

0:31:57 > 0:32:00the podium, last year, Andrew Musgrave is in the top ten at the

0:32:00 > 0:32:06moment. A fantastic performance, bearing in mind his favourite style,

0:32:06 > 0:32:10the freestyle, is still to come... Clement

0:32:13 > 0:32:20-- Niskanen looking over his shoulder. It's an interesting debate

0:32:20 > 0:32:25considering Klaebo, as we get a dramatic shortcomings you can see

0:32:25 > 0:32:34his own breath there, Niskanen. Cologna.

0:32:36 > 0:32:38Cologna. It's a really interesting debate because when you follow the

0:32:38 > 0:32:41races where Klaebo has been dominant, the Sprint would be the

0:32:41 > 0:32:47most obvious for a gold medal. But I do think I've got this right, he has

0:32:47 > 0:32:52only competed in one senior skiathlon race, Lillehammer in

0:32:52 > 0:32:56December, and he won! He is so young, we still do not have enough

0:32:56 > 0:33:00races to count against him in this regard, even though, of course, the

0:33:00 > 0:33:09Sprint would be the event in which he would be the favourite. Krueger

0:33:09 > 0:33:12still 38 seconds behind, Maurice Manificat isn't as strong as he is

0:33:12 > 0:33:19on B3. He is 15 seconds off the pace, not life or death at the

0:33:19 > 0:33:24moment but certainly Krueger's deficit is pretty tough. But Klaebo

0:33:24 > 0:33:27has only had one opportunity to show what he can do in the skiathlon and

0:33:27 > 0:33:32he won the World Cup race. He is currently in third place, and is so

0:33:32 > 0:33:36exciting to watch. Not just from a Norwegian point of view, but we are

0:33:36 > 0:33:41excited from the neutral standpoint! It will be exciting to see how he

0:33:41 > 0:33:52deals with it. His compatriot worse dogs with injury. Andrew Musgrave is

0:33:52 > 0:33:56wearing Number 10, you can see that he is just behind the front pack

0:33:56 > 0:34:02breaking away. Norway are looking at Klaebo, a very different individual,

0:34:02 > 0:34:07and much livelier. And much friendlier, some people say, they

0:34:07 > 0:34:12are expecting big things now, we can just see Krueger making his way back

0:34:12 > 0:34:21through. He is

0:34:21 > 0:34:24through. He is behind Yoshida of Japan. Imagine it is a Formula 1

0:34:24 > 0:34:30race. It isn't easy to weave through 20 or 25 athletes. You've got to be

0:34:30 > 0:34:33very careful otherwise you end up in the same situation you were in in

0:34:33 > 0:34:39the first place.Not completely out of it yet, Krueger, but he does have

0:34:39 > 0:34:46a tough job. Dario Colonia, the defending skiathlon champion, and

0:34:46 > 0:34:52deciding to make his presence felt and Niskanen is having none of it!

0:34:52 > 0:34:58Coming up wide on the outside... This will develop into a fascinating

0:34:58 > 0:35:04race, when you get towards the business end. Sometimes it is

0:35:04 > 0:35:09difficult from the British point of view, Andrew Musgrave is doing

0:35:09 > 0:35:13fantastically at the moment. Currently in tenth, behind the

0:35:13 > 0:35:19breakaway group. If you are watching cross-country for only the first or

0:35:19 > 0:35:21second time, these are the rock stars of their nation's sportsmen

0:35:21 > 0:35:27and women. It is difficult to exaggerate enough just how big the

0:35:27 > 0:35:37stars are. The Norwegians say that this is their Olympics. It's a great

0:35:37 > 0:35:40showcase but their greatest hopes come in the summer Olympic Games.

0:35:40 > 0:35:45For Norway, this is the big one. The summer Olympic Games is an

0:35:45 > 0:35:50afterthought. This is absolutely huge in the countries.Especially

0:35:50 > 0:35:56when you have a brand-new starlike Klaebo. We talk about the skiathlon

0:35:56 > 0:36:00that he won, not just what he did but how he won. He is wearing the

0:36:00 > 0:36:06number six.

0:36:06 > 0:36:08number six. They had Sundby in charge of the whole race but Klaebo

0:36:08 > 0:36:16came back three. That's the thing. Even if you have five or six seconds

0:36:16 > 0:36:25over Klaebo, he can come back. Certainly could.

0:36:25 > 0:36:29Certainly could. It is very interesting to see how he goes. What

0:36:29 > 0:36:33a performance by Andrew Musgrave. Just on the left-hand side of your

0:36:33 > 0:36:39frame now. In eighth place. Steadily working his way through the field.

0:36:39 > 0:36:43This really would be exciting, if he is in the mix can be business end,

0:36:43 > 0:36:48especially as the 15 kilometre free is meant to be his best chance of a

0:36:48 > 0:36:53winter Olympic medal. He was third in the freestyle earlier this

0:36:53 > 0:37:05season. That races coming up on Friday. Now, we have Harvey of

0:37:05 > 0:37:13Canada just out of shot. The only Norwegian missing is currently

0:37:13 > 0:37:25Krueger, 35 seconds back after a fall. And what

0:37:25 > 0:37:30fall. And what about Sundby? He's aiming to become Norway's oldest

0:37:30 > 0:37:35male cross champion. In his last nine skiathlon races, he is very

0:37:35 > 0:37:39consistent and arguably at the age of 33, I know that Marit Bjorgen got

0:37:39 > 0:37:43the silver yesterday at age 37, arguably it would take a big effort

0:37:43 > 0:37:48for him to still be in the mix in such a competitive team, come

0:37:48 > 0:37:55Beijing, 2022. This could be Sundby's last chance to become an

0:37:55 > 0:38:00individual Winter Olympic champion. He cannot be discounted, even though

0:38:00 > 0:38:05all of the headlines in Norway are being taken by his younger and more

0:38:05 > 0:38:11daring compatriot, Klaebo.If you look at someone like Sundby, here's

0:38:11 > 0:38:17another one of the old guys. They are the Norwegians who have carried

0:38:17 > 0:38:21the team for a decade. So much consistency, but we have already

0:38:21 > 0:38:28seen this season, Klaebo out of his dumper completely. -- his number

0:38:28 > 0:38:36completely. It would play on Sundby's mind.Just getting an

0:38:36 > 0:38:41update on the checkpoint, Andrew Musgrave just around seven seconds

0:38:41 > 0:38:46off the pace of the leaders. This is a brilliant piece of cross-country

0:38:46 > 0:38:51skiing by the Britain, the first of the two men in the distance Paire.

0:38:51 > 0:38:55He has the very tall Daniel Rickards and just behind him. He is no

0:38:55 > 0:39:04slouch! -- Daniel Rickardsson. A relay gold medallist twice for

0:39:04 > 0:39:11Norway, he got a bronze in the 15 K four years ago. I wonder if it is an

0:39:11 > 0:39:17indication that they are slowing down a fraction? Good work by the

0:39:17 > 0:39:19French, we haven't really mentioned that Maurice Manificat closed the

0:39:19 > 0:39:28gap. And in the number nine, Gaillard's fourth games, missing out

0:39:28 > 0:39:32on a medal. Andrew Musgrave is just out of shot on the left-hand side. I

0:39:32 > 0:39:37think they are gripping up again here. It is settling into a place,

0:39:37 > 0:39:47rather than it being a case of Niskanen probing for a gap.And it

0:39:47 > 0:39:51isn't an extraordinarily fast pace yet. For these athletes. It is still

0:39:51 > 0:39:57a bit bunched. Niskanen is using a lot of fuel to stay out in front but

0:39:57 > 0:40:05nobody really has tried to get away to any real degree.

0:40:05 > 0:40:12to any real degree.Did from Callum Smith, last seen in 60 First Place.

0:40:12 > 0:40:16He finished in that position four years ago, he says he wants to get a

0:40:16 > 0:40:24top 30. A graduate in chemical engineering from Edinburgh. He now

0:40:24 > 0:40:29lives in Norway. Training with the best. As indeed is Andrew Musgrave,

0:40:29 > 0:40:35and his sister Posey, in the commentary box yesterday with us,

0:40:35 > 0:40:41she has travelled to the course to watch her brother. She letters into

0:40:41 > 0:40:45a secret, she says that he is seeking that degree out, I was

0:40:45 > 0:40:50speaking and saying how dedicated he must be doing a completed degree in

0:40:50 > 0:40:53a second language, but she says there isn't a great deal of work

0:40:53 > 0:40:58going on there! He shuffles the bits of paper and it may take six or

0:40:58 > 0:41:01seven years, but he will get the degree in the end! Webb Andrew

0:41:01 > 0:41:06Musgrave at the back of the group, he isn't focused on his degree now,

0:41:06 > 0:41:10he is focused on producing a piece of British winter Olympic history.

0:41:10 > 0:41:21There he is, just trying to attach himself to the group. Torres --

0:41:21 > 0:41:24Thomas Bingham Paire.

0:41:28 > 0:41:33He has reattached which is useful. A great performance so far. Alex

0:41:33 > 0:41:36Harvey, moving across to the right-hand track, wearing number

0:41:36 > 0:41:42four.

0:41:42 > 0:41:47four. It is Niskanen in the nearly all-white outfit for Finland. A

0:41:47 > 0:41:52little slip there. Important that the waxing technicians get their job

0:41:52 > 0:41:55right. It seems as though they've done a good job for the Norwegians

0:41:55 > 0:41:59this far. Four years ago they were really struggling.

0:41:59 > 0:42:03Uncharacteristically so in the early races. Krueger, number seven in the

0:42:03 > 0:42:09middle of your shot. This is better from the Norwegian. If he could get

0:42:09 > 0:42:13back into the mix for a medal, that would be absolutely extraordinary.

0:42:13 > 0:42:20All credit to him for deciding just to carry on.It will be interesting

0:42:20 > 0:42:24when we get back to the shots at the front. I think I saw Niskanen stand

0:42:24 > 0:42:28aside and essentially say I've done my job for the time being. Now he is

0:42:28 > 0:42:33back in fifth or sixth position and saying, it is someone else's turn,

0:42:33 > 0:42:40I've done my time. We now have Dario Cologna and Maurice Manificat out in

0:42:40 > 0:42:42front together.

0:42:47 > 0:42:52Easy to underestimate how technical and how skilful these men and women

0:42:52 > 0:42:56are in cross-country. It isn't all about smashing the miles out.

0:42:56 > 0:43:04Racking up hundreds of kilometres. There is real skiing ability there

0:43:04 > 0:43:08as well. A couple of the descents on the course are really brutal,

0:43:08 > 0:43:12especially be sharp left-hand turn as they head backing towards the

0:43:12 > 0:43:17stadium at the end of the circuit. And in this weather as well. You are

0:43:17 > 0:43:25not only descending sharply but moving into a biting wind.

0:43:25 > 0:43:28moving into a biting wind.All of these athletes are respecting the

0:43:28 > 0:43:30conditions and environment, and making sure that they get plenty of

0:43:30 > 0:43:36liquids on board.

0:43:36 > 0:43:44liquids on board. 12 seconds adrift, they have Spitsov. The men who fell

0:43:44 > 0:43:50are doing a good job. Spitsov was knocked over, along with his

0:43:50 > 0:44:00compatriot, Larkov, by Krueger. On the right, wearing Number 10 for

0:44:00 > 0:44:04Great Britain, it has slowed, you are right, Miskin and into the pack.

0:44:04 > 0:44:10He feels as though he has done his job -- Niskanen. It has allowed,

0:44:10 > 0:44:15this slowing of the pace, almost the entire group to come back together.

0:44:15 > 0:44:19Krueger is in the second group of our fleets. Look at the driving wind

0:44:19 > 0:44:24in their faces! This is definitely slowing because soon, we suspect,

0:44:24 > 0:44:30are going to have a very good lead groupware at one stage it was ten or

0:44:30 > 0:44:3511.

0:44:36 > 0:44:4611. The cameras are focusing on Krueger, following Spitsov,

0:44:46 > 0:44:50rejoining a very big lead pack. A good effort by the Norwegian. And

0:44:50 > 0:44:55good effort from the world number 23 bronze medal is to Spitsov. He got

0:44:55 > 0:44:58that last year in the 15 kilometre and the skiathlon, the Olympic

0:44:58 > 0:45:04Athlete from Russia.

0:45:04 > 0:45:07Athlete from Russia. The pace has slowed a fraction... That the

0:45:07 > 0:45:14conditions are tough. They really are. For the first time, Sundby in

0:45:14 > 0:45:19the lead and deciding to make his presence felt.This downhill comes

0:45:19 > 0:45:23into the stadium. Possibly a deciding factor. The hill at the

0:45:23 > 0:45:27end, then the downhill sweep into the stadium area, back out and

0:45:27 > 0:45:35Brown. It could well be what we see. That could be where we see the race

0:45:35 > 0:45:40decided.

0:45:43 > 0:45:48Sundby needing, Harvey going really well, the Canadian contemplating

0:45:48 > 0:45:55retirement. No Canadian has ever won a winter Olympic skiing medal in

0:45:55 > 0:45:59cross-country. Andrew Musgrave is in the top ten. Krueger has managed to

0:45:59 > 0:46:03catch up, a fine effort from the Norwegian, so too has

0:46:03 > 0:46:06catch up, a fine effort from the Norwegian, so too has. Spitsov.

0:46:06 > 0:46:11Wearing bib 16. Where heading towards the end of the classical

0:46:11 > 0:46:19half of this race and then there will be a pit stop. He ends 15th in

0:46:19 > 0:46:30the World Championship last year. This will be the last circuits of

0:46:30 > 0:46:353.75 kilometres skied in the classical technique. All the main

0:46:35 > 0:46:38protagonists are there, including from a British point of view, Andrew

0:46:38 > 0:46:48Musgrave. Marcus Hellner, a skiathlon champion in Vancouver,

0:46:48 > 0:46:53silver four years ago. He hasn't been in that kind of form this

0:46:53 > 0:46:57season but he's certainly got the experience and exposure to produce a

0:46:57 > 0:47:07great performance. He's only five seconds adrift.And he's not had the

0:47:07 > 0:47:12greatest results recently, only 25th this season, essentially written off

0:47:12 > 0:47:15at home, Swedish fans don't expect them to do anything, his time has

0:47:15 > 0:47:20been and gone. But if you're only five seconds adrift and in this

0:47:20 > 0:47:28pack, essentially, he knows how to win a race at this level.Sundby

0:47:28 > 0:47:37from Harvey. This is Spitsov, going alone.

0:47:38 > 0:47:44alone. He's a really talented young athlete. As I said, a medallist in

0:47:44 > 0:47:53the under 23. A third in the

0:47:54 > 0:47:59the under 23. A third in the final tour of Ski. The 21-year-old doing

0:47:59 > 0:48:10his best to capture this big-league group. Andrew Musgrave still there,

0:48:10 > 0:48:15wearing Number ten, just behind a rock star of the circuit this year,

0:48:15 > 0:48:19Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. Thomas Bing, the German, still attached as

0:48:19 > 0:48:25well.

0:48:25 > 0:48:31well. And I wonder, in Sundby's mind, he's identifiable because he's

0:48:31 > 0:48:35got that blond beard which is probably freezing in these

0:48:35 > 0:48:42conditions, I wonder how far into the freestyle half of the race,

0:48:42 > 0:48:47Sundby might decide to have a go. The acceleration that his young

0:48:47 > 0:48:53compatriot Klaebo has is phenomenal. Some of the races we have seen this

0:48:53 > 0:48:57season, Klaebo has come back from deficit against Sundby from huge

0:48:57 > 0:49:04margins. What he did in Bill Hammer was outrageous, it's well worth

0:49:04 > 0:49:14looking at in you have five minutes. Sundby does what Niskanen did a flap

0:49:14 > 0:49:20and a half ago and says, I have done my bit. I wonder how long Sundby can

0:49:20 > 0:49:25leave this because he knows that Klaebo, if you've not shattered, he

0:49:25 > 0:49:31has the speed and arrogance of youth to come sweeping past.We saw in the

0:49:31 > 0:49:37women's event yesterday, Charlotte Kalla left it quite late until the

0:49:37 > 0:49:41last couple of climate is and put the accelerator down. I don't know

0:49:41 > 0:49:52if you can do that with clay bow. --

0:49:57 > 0:50:04. It was an amazing race. This is Spitsov trying to do his best to get

0:50:04 > 0:50:06back to the group.

0:50:18 > 0:50:29The Norwegian Publix will be churning in.It's pretty early in

0:50:29 > 0:50:34Norway for this race, but he was estimating a minimum of a quarter of

0:50:34 > 0:50:40the entire population would be getting up to watch the men's

0:50:40 > 0:50:47skiathlon and he said if the races were

0:50:47 > 0:50:50were closer to peak viewing, he said it would be half the population. It

0:50:50 > 0:50:57gives you some indication as to how big this sport is in Norway.We

0:50:57 > 0:51:02usually use football as a comparison, but maybe track cycling

0:51:02 > 0:51:05would be a better comparison, you know that there will be medals and

0:51:05 > 0:51:10it will be a feel-good event. You have got Sundby, clay bow, Hans

0:51:10 > 0:51:17Christer Holund, you know that something is going to happen. This

0:51:17 > 0:51:20is box office television for Norwegians because the whole field

0:51:20 > 0:51:29is packed with athletes that could do something special.

0:51:29 > 0:51:30do something special.Maurice Manificat, the Frenchman, very

0:51:30 > 0:51:37experienced athlete, leading from: you're at the moment. -- from

0:51:37 > 0:51:44Cologna at the moment. Andrew Musgrave is at the back of this

0:51:44 > 0:51:50group just behind Marcus Kalmar. Cologna is looking good at second

0:51:50 > 0:51:57place. Very composed. Hasn't really done too much work at the front of

0:51:57 > 0:52:02the field. Harvey just slipped a little there. He was skiing

0:52:02 > 0:52:04immediately behind Cologna who has now moved over to the left-hand

0:52:04 > 0:52:11track. Harvey is wearing number four. We would get an indication as

0:52:11 > 0:52:18to the deficit to Andrew Musgrave. Eight seconds. So he's just allowed

0:52:18 > 0:52:26a second or two to grow between himself and the leading ten. At the

0:52:26 > 0:52:29end of this loop, they will be swapping over to the freestyle which

0:52:29 > 0:52:35is his favoured technique. And how exciting would it be if he was to

0:52:35 > 0:52:38get in amongst the traditional heavyweights, the Norwegians and the

0:52:38 > 0:52:47Swedes and Finns? A fantastic story, in this, his second-best event. I

0:52:47 > 0:52:50wonder how excited Posy Musgrave is getting up on the course? We will

0:52:50 > 0:52:58find that when she us in the commentary box later.This isn't his

0:52:58 > 0:53:03best event at the top 15 finish would be great, but he has been very

0:53:03 > 0:53:06clear before the races that he considers himself a realistic model

0:53:06 > 0:53:14contender and he has not been afraid to say it -- metal -- chrome medal

0:53:14 > 0:53:20contender. He says that he has learned his lessons from the hype

0:53:20 > 0:53:26that he had before Sochi, he has been on a World Cup podium this

0:53:26 > 0:53:30season, he knows that if he stays in touch the way he is doing, he

0:53:30 > 0:53:36believes he has it within himself to push through and get a medal, maybe

0:53:36 > 0:53:42here, certainly in the 15 K.The biggest lesson he has learned is the

0:53:42 > 0:53:45hardest one, not overtraining. He won the Norwegian Championships just

0:53:45 > 0:53:52ahead of Sochi and then I think maybe it was such an inspirational

0:53:52 > 0:53:56moment, Spitsov just getting on the back of the group, Andrew Musgrave

0:53:56 > 0:54:05is wearing Number ten. There he is. I think that was the biggest lesson

0:54:05 > 0:54:09he learned, it wasn't that he was overawed by the occasion, he arrived

0:54:09 > 0:54:14completely shattered because he was overtraining. That's something very

0:54:14 > 0:54:18much within his control and he went back after the Sammon, got a little

0:54:18 > 0:54:29bit ill, he said he always got ill after the Tour de Ski, and he has an

0:54:29 > 0:54:36opportunity this time after he has arrived that his batteries are fully

0:54:36 > 0:54:40charged.One thing that helps is coaching. In between the Olympics he

0:54:40 > 0:54:48has brought on board Norwegian coaches, essentially poached from

0:54:48 > 0:54:52private skiing teams in Norway and now he has the institutional

0:54:52 > 0:54:56knowledge advantage of working with top coaches from the country that

0:54:56 > 0:55:02does this sport in the best way. And they know how to get him to the

0:55:02 > 0:55:06start line in perfect stage because they have been doing it for Olympic

0:55:06 > 0:55:12champions for years.It's not quite a Formula 1 pit stop, but it will be

0:55:12 > 0:55:20important. As he said yesterday in the women's skiathlon, you cannot

0:55:20 > 0:55:24win, a bit like a triathlon, you don't win the race in transition but

0:55:24 > 0:55:28you can certainly give yourself a problem if it doesn't go smoothly.

0:55:28 > 0:55:36This can and just making sure -- Niskanen making sure he has an

0:55:36 > 0:55:40opportunity to get in and out as smoothly as possible. It is usually

0:55:40 > 0:55:4835 seconds. Switching skis, they have completed their circuit in the

0:55:48 > 0:55:50classical technique and different skis required for the freestyle

0:55:50 > 0:55:56which will be faster. Andrew Young, who is not competing for Great

0:55:56 > 0:56:04Britain in this race but we will see him later on, he equates its two

0:56:04 > 0:56:10race with breast wrote front crawl. So the freestyle or skating half

0:56:10 > 0:56:16will be quicker. The main thing to notice here is not so much if one

0:56:16 > 0:56:20man gets out half a second quicker than the others, but if anyone has a

0:56:20 > 0:56:27lengthy problem. Looking to make sure they are in and out. A little

0:56:27 > 0:56:33bit of a double-take from Maurice Manificat. Andrew Musgrave safely

0:56:33 > 0:56:39through. Krueger has almost caused the gap up, but traditionally he's

0:56:39 > 0:56:45better on classical. He has not had an opportunity to dominate, he has

0:56:45 > 0:56:55used his classical ability to get back to the big league group.

0:56:55 > 0:56:58Musgrave just five seconds or so adrift, pretty much in the big

0:56:58 > 0:57:11leading group.And out into the skate skiing which is his preferred

0:57:11 > 0:57:14discipline so this is as good as he would hope to be at this point in

0:57:14 > 0:57:22the race.And other than Klaebo, all of the main protagonists are there.

0:57:22 > 0:57:26That's one of the men who fell with Krueger at the beginning of the

0:57:26 > 0:57:33circuit. He has done well to keep going. His compatriot Spitsov has

0:57:33 > 0:57:38got back in touch with the big leading group, as has Simen Hegstad

0:57:38 > 0:57:49Krueger. So we're halfway. Pretty quick from Klaebo in the pit stop,

0:57:49 > 0:57:55so to Jean Marc Gaillard.

0:57:55 > 0:58:02so to Jean Marc Gaillard. Sundby took away. -- took a while. The

0:58:02 > 0:58:08classical half is done, now we turn our attention to the second set of

0:58:08 > 0:58:18four microcircuits of 3.75 calamities. -- kilometres. Sundby

0:58:18 > 0:58:24was a few seconds slower than Klaebo, we might just get an idea

0:58:24 > 0:58:32here, he's next to Hans Christer Holund, so what happened? Nothing

0:58:32 > 0:58:38dramatic, just a little sluggish. But it has cost him a few seconds.

0:58:38 > 0:58:44Looking out for the frozen blond beard. He is wearing number six. I

0:58:44 > 0:58:49would have thought he is right back up in the mix. That's a big group

0:58:49 > 0:58:58now. It will not stay that way for all four circuits as most of the men

0:58:58 > 0:59:01will not want to leave it until the last circuit because it will play

0:59:01 > 0:59:12into the hands of Klaebo, and Sundby has got back on terms.

0:59:12 > 0:59:13has got back on terms. There is Andrew Musgrave, what a performance

0:59:13 > 0:59:23this is so far. A long way to go. Eighth place, and bearing in mind

0:59:23 > 0:59:28his previous best performance in cross-country skiing from is 29. We

0:59:28 > 0:59:36have got a few BBC news crews heading up to the course. We were

0:59:36 > 0:59:42saying to them, don't leave it too long because he's looking good this

0:59:42 > 0:59:48season, he might do something special.

0:59:49 > 1:00:00special. A little look over the shoulder from the Italian.

1:00:00 > 1:00:04shoulder from the Italian. Niskanen leading, Klaebo in the middle of the

1:00:04 > 1:00:11group. The Italians getting himself on terms with that group. 14 or 15

1:00:11 > 1:00:17of them, if you cant the guys who are six or seven seconds off the

1:00:17 > 1:00:22pace, but they're all thereabouts. Klaebo wearing number one, because

1:00:22 > 1:00:32he is the World Cup leader this season. Marcus Hellner behind him.

1:00:32 > 1:00:37This is quite a good shot, because when we were up on the cause, we

1:00:37 > 1:00:41couldn't really work out where the gold poles were. This gives you a

1:00:41 > 1:00:47slightly better feeling of what it looks like over the summer. You

1:00:47 > 1:00:54would hope it is a lot warmer than it is today -- golf holes. By far

1:00:54 > 1:00:58the coldest day we've had since we went on because on Tuesday.It's

1:00:58 > 1:01:02going to get colder, it is not .5 degrees colder than when the race

1:01:02 > 1:01:11began. The wind has also picked up, very tough racing conditions -- it

1:01:11 > 1:01:13is .5 degrees colder.The temperature in the air is -17

1:01:13 > 1:01:23degrees. Niskanen leading. Gaillard. Alex Harvey is still there. Cologna

1:01:23 > 1:01:26wearing bib number three. Andrew Musgrave, the closest we have seen

1:01:26 > 1:01:33him to the front. He is in about sixth place, skiing behind Harvey,

1:01:33 > 1:01:40wearing number four. This is superb from Andrew Musgrave. It really is.

1:01:40 > 1:01:45A trailblazer for the sport from the British point of view. I wonder if

1:01:45 > 1:01:49there are any little boys all little girls watching this who got up early

1:01:49 > 1:01:56on a Sunday morning. Perhaps it would spark an interest from them in

1:01:56 > 1:02:00cross-country skiing. We are talking about British cross-country skier

1:02:00 > 1:02:07Andrew Musgrave, wearing the Number 10. A trailblazer, without a doubt.

1:02:07 > 1:02:13We should reflect on what a big job cross-country skiing centre played

1:02:13 > 1:02:22in the life of all of the British Olympians. Bob Lacey did so much in

1:02:22 > 1:02:26the early days of getting the club off the ground. He was tragically

1:02:26 > 1:02:33killed on his way to a stag do on his motorbike. Then, Roy Young,

1:02:33 > 1:02:38Andrew Young's father, got involved in coaching and he still is. To get

1:02:38 > 1:02:44his own son Andrew Young into the Winter Olympics and also to do his

1:02:44 > 1:02:48best for the rest of the team. It's a massive effort and there in

1:02:48 > 1:02:51Aberdeenshire and the fact we are talking about Andrew Musgrave being

1:02:51 > 1:02:57in the top eight or nine in one of the hardest races to win? That's a

1:02:57 > 1:03:02real tribute to everyone who has worked so hard up at Huntly.That

1:03:02 > 1:03:07was a marvellous move on the left-hand side there. Bringing

1:03:07 > 1:03:10Klaebo up to the front. He is wearing the number one on the

1:03:10 > 1:03:15right-hand side. He's decided maybe now is the time? Sweeping through

1:03:15 > 1:03:20five, six or seven athletes and now he is at the front. Sundby is right

1:03:20 > 1:03:27up ahead of him, another Norwegian to push the pace now. Perhaps a

1:03:27 > 1:03:31little early, we still have about 30 minutes to go but it's the first

1:03:31 > 1:03:33time we see Klaebo and Sundby make a concerted effort together at the

1:03:33 > 1:03:41front.One of the reasons may be that the group was too big. Sundby

1:03:41 > 1:03:46from Klaebo, a great effort from Krueger, now up behind them. Norway

1:03:46 > 1:03:49Singh, two and three. Andrew Musgrave in fifth place. I know a

1:03:49 > 1:03:57couple of those athletes will have taken a ski or two back -- Norway in

1:03:57 > 1:04:01first, two and three. They do have some of the best cross-country

1:04:01 > 1:04:06skiers in the world behind him. Don't forget about Cologna. That is

1:04:06 > 1:04:14the brutal climb. It is ever so slightly different. This freestyle

1:04:14 > 1:04:19circuit of 3.75 kilometres. This hill will surely be the determining

1:04:19 > 1:04:24factor in many of the races that we will hopefully be enjoying over the

1:04:24 > 1:04:29next 14.5 days. Krueger there. What a story it would be from his

1:04:29 > 1:04:38perspective if he was to get back into the mix? And another of the men

1:04:38 > 1:04:44who fell behind him, the Olympic Athlete from Russia, Spitsov. You

1:04:44 > 1:04:49can see how careful the cross-country skiers are having to

1:04:49 > 1:04:55be on that tight left-hand turn. Three circuits to go. Sundby is

1:04:55 > 1:05:00bidding to become Norway's oldest individual male cross-country skiing

1:05:00 > 1:05:11champion. Krueger, he felt right at the start of the race. Cologna,

1:05:11 > 1:05:15aiming to become only the third man to successfully defend the skiathlon

1:05:15 > 1:05:20title. A winner from Sochi. Well poised in this race. Andrew Musgrave

1:05:20 > 1:05:28of Great Britain is in uncharted territory, the place, just on the

1:05:28 > 1:05:34left of the picture. Very much in touch. Not just breaking new ground

1:05:34 > 1:05:38but absolutely smashing it from a British cross-country skiing point

1:05:38 > 1:05:45of view. Just behind him, Maurice Manificat. Let's not forget about

1:05:45 > 1:05:50Marcus Allen, the champion in this event eight years ago, silver

1:05:50 > 1:05:53medallist four years ago. All of the big men that you would hope and

1:05:53 > 1:06:00expect to see our right up there -- Marcus Hellner. This is developing

1:06:00 > 1:06:07into the race that we hoped would unfold in these brutally cold but

1:06:07 > 1:06:18stunning conditions. In Pyeongchang. This is the big chase group. Good

1:06:18 > 1:06:25athletes among them. This is where the real action will happen. Look at

1:06:25 > 1:06:31Andrew Musgrave, coming through there. The cameras focusing down.

1:06:31 > 1:06:38Just on the right of the picture there, Gaillard. Great skiing by the

1:06:38 > 1:06:46Briton. Just watching out, there he is. In third place, he is just

1:06:46 > 1:06:49watching out for Klaebo. Nothing much to read into this little

1:06:49 > 1:06:53deficit for the World Cup leader, it was a case of everyone making sure

1:06:53 > 1:06:59they had clear snow ahead of them to get their drinks. Sundby, leading at

1:06:59 > 1:07:10the moment. A bronze medallist four years ago behind Dario Cologna.

1:07:20 > 1:07:24Andrew Musgrave is still right up there for Great Britain, as is

1:07:24 > 1:07:33Spitsov. Only 21 years old. The Olympic Athlete from Russia.

1:07:33 > 1:07:39One of the three men who fell in the very early stages, we are talking

1:07:39 > 1:07:43about the man wearing number 16, on the right of the picture. Andrew

1:07:43 > 1:07:50Musgrave in ten.

1:07:50 > 1:07:56Musgrave in ten. They will be starting to feel this... If you look

1:07:56 > 1:08:05at Claremont Parisse, but hopes for the French. The two men who

1:08:05 > 1:08:09dominated in the biathlon programme, that will be an exciting race later

1:08:09 > 1:08:12today. The French will be joining in in massive numbers to watch this.

1:08:12 > 1:08:19They will be getting excited about what they're cross-country skiers

1:08:19 > 1:08:23are doing here. Maurice Manificat going ahead of Cologna. Very much in

1:08:23 > 1:08:28the mix, alongside the Frenchman Gaillard in number nine.We should

1:08:28 > 1:08:34mention that this is such a quiet part of the course. If we let it

1:08:34 > 1:08:38speak for a second, you can hear that it is so quiet out the back.

1:08:38 > 1:08:46There is hardly anyone around, you can almost hear a pin drop. That's

1:08:46 > 1:08:49an Olympic cross-country skiing final, it is just nature out there

1:08:49 > 1:08:54and the sound of the few people skiing. It is so far removed, tucked

1:08:54 > 1:09:07away. A beautiful course and dead quiet at the back like this.

1:09:08 > 1:09:14This is a big group, the pace has definitely eased. There are now 15

1:09:14 > 1:09:20or even 20 men. Spitsov, the 21-year-old, leading. Andrew

1:09:20 > 1:09:27Musgrave tucked in fourth or fifth place. Sundby in second. The

1:09:27 > 1:09:33Frenchman, Maurice Manificat, coming through. Still no move from Cologna.

1:09:33 > 1:09:39The longer they leave it, the more tense it becomes. Niskanen set much

1:09:39 > 1:09:46of the early pace in the classical have.

1:09:46 > 1:09:52have. -- car. It is beginning to get quite exciting now... Andrew

1:09:52 > 1:09:57Musgrave in the centre of your picture there, wearing the trademark

1:09:57 > 1:10:02blue shades, bright in the mix with the very best cross-country skiers

1:10:02 > 1:10:13in the world. Spitsov leading... Sundby perhaps knows that he cannot

1:10:13 > 1:10:25afford to leave it late against his very talented young compatriot.

1:10:25 > 1:10:32Klaebo, with nine wins on the World Cup circuit.

1:10:33 > 1:10:38Cup circuit. He is alongside Holund now. Another big climb for these

1:10:38 > 1:10:43men.

1:10:43 > 1:10:51men. It doesn't get any easier on this freestyle half of the course.

1:10:55 > 1:11:02Krueger is right back up there as well. Good skiing from the

1:11:02 > 1:11:07Norwegians. Now, I wonder, there is still a long way to go but Holund

1:11:07 > 1:11:14has decided to have a little go of the front. Looking over his

1:11:14 > 1:11:17shoulder, his compatriot Klaebo responds wearing the number one as

1:11:17 > 1:11:24is Cologna, the defending champion. 21 kilometres. Nine kilometres to

1:11:24 > 1:11:32go. This is a very big group. Andrew Musgrave going through the shot,

1:11:32 > 1:11:36wearing the Number 10. Niskanen and Alex Harvey, perhaps looking at a

1:11:36 > 1:11:40fraction tired there for the first time. Harvey went through in 15th or

1:11:40 > 1:11:5016th place. I wonder if team tactics are at play? But Holund deciding to

1:11:50 > 1:12:01stretch things out -- with Holund deciding to stretch things out. The

1:12:01 > 1:12:07Frenchman there, Gaillard, wearing the number nine. Somebody has to

1:12:07 > 1:12:11make a move that some stage, and I wonder what the Holund, he may not

1:12:11 > 1:12:16be making a definitive bid for glory, but I think the pace may have

1:12:16 > 1:12:24been too slow and he has decided to up the tempo. You can see that with

1:12:24 > 1:12:28how hard these men are working uphill. Cologna hasn't done much at

1:12:28 > 1:12:32the front. The Swiss defending champion. But he covered that move

1:12:32 > 1:12:37as soon as it began. Making sure that if he needs to break, he can

1:12:37 > 1:12:42move quite quickly. That was, in fact, one of the reasons that Marit

1:12:42 > 1:12:48Bjorgen was caught out in the women's skiathlon yesterday, when

1:12:48 > 1:12:52Charlotte Kalla made a move, Marit Bjorgen was behind the wrong skier.

1:12:52 > 1:12:56She lost a couple of seconds, I don't think she would have caught up

1:12:56 > 1:13:00with Charlotte Kalla anyway but suddenly the gap was bigger than it

1:13:00 > 1:13:03needed to be. Cologna is playing a smart game looking at the chase

1:13:03 > 1:13:07group. Abbring these moves can he knows what it takes to beat the

1:13:07 > 1:13:11Norwegians. I'm not saying he would definitely win the race but

1:13:11 > 1:13:15tactically it is sharp from the defending champion in second place,

1:13:15 > 1:13:23wearing the number three at the moment. Klaebo, number one, Maurice

1:13:23 > 1:13:25Manificat behind him. Andrew Musgrave of Great Britain behind

1:13:25 > 1:13:34him. Krueger, that really is such a steep hill. It takes your breath

1:13:34 > 1:13:42away to run or walk up it!

1:13:42 > 1:13:49away to run or walk up it! The dissent will be icy.

1:13:51 > 1:14:06Holund leading. They are coming through now.

1:14:07 > 1:14:13through now. Coming through to great applause from the fans, who have

1:14:13 > 1:14:19packed out this state-of-the-art facility. They tested the course

1:14:19 > 1:14:24with three Korean national championships in the big event last

1:14:24 > 1:14:32year. 22.5 kilometres.

1:14:38 > 1:14:45All the big names are still very much in contention here. Niskanen,

1:14:45 > 1:14:50maybe allowing a few seconds to go? Ten off the pace. Cannot afford the

1:14:50 > 1:15:00gap to go any bigger.

1:15:00 > 1:15:02gap to go any bigger. That is Salvadore, he should be in a

1:15:02 > 1:15:08gangster film with a name like that! Trying to close the gap. It's an

1:15:08 > 1:15:16enormous lead group. It contains Andrew Musgrave, in third place at

1:15:16 > 1:15:21the moment. Just towards the right-hand side of the picture. He

1:15:21 > 1:15:29has covered every move. When will the big break come?

1:15:29 > 1:15:31When will the big break,?

1:15:37 > 1:15:46It is to microcircuits to go, for in classical, for in freestyle. Polonia

1:15:46 > 1:15:53is after piece of Winter Olympic history. -- Cologna. If he was

1:15:53 > 1:15:57pushing the pace, things have got a little bit slower which is why so

1:15:57 > 1:16:05many men are now right back up alongside Hans Christer Holund,

1:16:05 > 1:16:12including Andrew Musgrave. What a story it would be. It's still too

1:16:12 > 1:16:18early to get excited but do you know what, he has worked so hard, Andrew

1:16:18 > 1:16:21Musgrave, and has transported his life to Norway. He's immersed

1:16:21 > 1:16:25himself in the culture of the nation who have the best record in

1:16:25 > 1:16:29cross-country skiing, and that takes some bottle to do. He's not going

1:16:29 > 1:16:33living on the other side of the world, he's decided to compete with

1:16:33 > 1:16:38and against the best. You have got to learn from the best. And Britain

1:16:38 > 1:16:43is in fourth and fifth place at the moment, in with a chance of the

1:16:43 > 1:16:45Winter Olympic medal in cross-country skiing, that's

1:16:45 > 1:16:52incredible.We're an hour

1:16:52 > 1:16:54incredible.We're an hour into an Olympic cross-country skiathlon and

1:16:54 > 1:17:00the British contender is this or fixed.If you're just waking up, I

1:17:00 > 1:17:07apologise if you have heard me say this before, the best performance by

1:17:07 > 1:17:12a British cross-country skier in history is his 29th place finish in

1:17:12 > 1:17:20the sprint in Sochi, that's why we're getting so excited about the

1:17:20 > 1:17:25Britain in fourth place in number ten, ahead of Alex Harvey, the

1:17:25 > 1:17:27Canadian, bidding to become the first Canadian to win a

1:17:27 > 1:17:40cross-country mail muddle. -- mail medal. A lot of very knowledgeable

1:17:40 > 1:17:45cross-country experts feel as though Klaebo's best chance of the medal is

1:17:45 > 1:17:51in the sprint, but he has demolished world-class fields at skiathlon as

1:17:51 > 1:18:01well. Most notably at Lillehammer a few months ago, well worth looking

1:18:01 > 1:18:10at up on YouTube, a phenomenal importance. Daniel Rickardsson got a

1:18:10 > 1:18:13bronze plaque in 2014 in the 15 K.

1:18:17 > 1:18:29So he leads, Daniel Rickardsson. Less than two microcircuits remain.

1:18:29 > 1:18:33And Rickardsson is a man for whom cross-country skiing is almost

1:18:33 > 1:18:42therapy. In something like 2013, he and a friend were changing attire on

1:18:42 > 1:18:46his car, and a camper van ran them both over and the friend he was with

1:18:46 > 1:18:54was killed. I think Rickardsson damaged his cruciate ligament and

1:18:54 > 1:18:57it's amazing he had the motivation to come back. He feels as though

1:18:57 > 1:19:03cross-country skiing gives him the race and an outlet for his grief

1:19:03 > 1:19:10over losing his best friend and so nearly losing his own life. We're

1:19:10 > 1:19:13obviously incredibly excited about Andrew Musgrave, and it's a great

1:19:13 > 1:19:18story if he gets on the podium, it's a great story if Alex Harvey gets on

1:19:18 > 1:19:22the podium but there is a brilliant story to all of these leading man.

1:19:22 > 1:19:26Because some of them, like Rickardsson, have gone through

1:19:26 > 1:19:29personal tragedies. It's not simply the case that if you're from Norway

1:19:29 > 1:19:35or Sweden editor Tom the pair of skis, you're guaranteed to get --

1:19:35 > 1:19:40and you put on a pair of skis, you're guaranteed to get a medal.

1:19:40 > 1:19:46They have all been on the hunt for Winter Olympic history.It's one of

1:19:46 > 1:19:52the toughest sports in the whole Olympics and now Andrew Musgrave is

1:19:52 > 1:20:00in second place!I can't believe how well he skiing at the moment. He was

1:20:00 > 1:20:07third and sixth in previous events in the 15 K, which is his best

1:20:07 > 1:20:14chance of a medal. And that comes on Friday. This is a brilliant,

1:20:14 > 1:20:19brilliant performance, at the moment. Oh, my goodness me! You have

1:20:19 > 1:20:24got to win the battle of the remote control if you are just waking up

1:20:24 > 1:20:33with the children's channels, forget about Peter Rabbit! Forget about the

1:20:33 > 1:20:42Go Jetties, because you have got Andrew Musgrave

1:20:42 > 1:20:45Andrew Musgrave performing so well, he is taking it to the Norwegians

1:20:45 > 1:20:52with whom he trains, and he studies for a degree in Norway. Krueger is

1:20:52 > 1:20:56leading and if you missed the early part of the race, he was flat on his

1:20:56 > 1:21:01face in the first 200 metres of the race and somehow managed to crawl

1:21:01 > 1:21:09his way into contention and into the lead. Krueger from Musgrove, Dario

1:21:09 > 1:21:19Cologna, the defending champion, in third. Martin Johnsrud

1:21:20 > 1:21:23third. Martin Johnsrud Sundby in sixth, his beard will be frozen, the

1:21:23 > 1:21:29air temperature here is minus 16. Now they are beginning to work. Now

1:21:29 > 1:21:34they realise that the business end of this most brutal race is upon us.

1:21:34 > 1:21:40It's the classic taste of the allrounder. This can and it's

1:21:40 > 1:21:46beginning to struggle, and Jean Marc Gaillard has been blown out of the

1:21:46 > 1:21:53back. -- Niskanen beginning to struggle. Half the race in freestyle

1:21:53 > 1:21:59and half in classical. Look at Andrew Musgrave. Oh, my goodness me!

1:21:59 > 1:22:03What an effort and what a performance so far. He's just got to

1:22:03 > 1:22:06keep it going. Even if he doesn't end up on the podium, what

1:22:06 > 1:22:12confidence this will give him for his best event, the 15 K. That's why

1:22:12 > 1:22:16the director is focusing in on these shots, we don't have control of

1:22:16 > 1:22:20which pictures we are shown by the director, but they're very good at

1:22:20 > 1:22:24following the story and globally, Andrew Musgrave is the story at the

1:22:24 > 1:22:29moment and that's why we're getting a close-up. They Britain ever inside

1:22:29 > 1:22:39the top 25 of any -- no Britain has ever been inside the top 25 of any

1:22:39 > 1:22:47Winter Olympic cross-country skiing game and he is flying at the moment.

1:22:47 > 1:22:50One circuit remains. We're excited about Andrew Musgrave. And we should

1:22:50 > 1:23:02be. But what a story it would be for cement house that Krueger -- recruit

1:23:02 > 1:23:07Simen Hegstad Krueger to rise from the ground in joint last place and

1:23:07 > 1:23:13win the title. This is a bold move and I'm imagining that one of the

1:23:13 > 1:23:17reasons he's decided to do this is because he knows that the likes of

1:23:17 > 1:23:23his compatriots Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Klaebo, the World Cup

1:23:23 > 1:23:27leader, too fast for him, closing stages. This is absolutely superb

1:23:27 > 1:23:33from Andrew Musgrave. Just under four kilometres away from something

1:23:33 > 1:23:42that 15 years ago, we couldn't have even dreamt of. In British sport.

1:23:42 > 1:23:47Krueger has set his stall out early, it's up to Klaebo and Andrew

1:23:47 > 1:23:50Musgrave and the rest of the world-class field who are chasing

1:23:50 > 1:23:57down this brave Norwegian to deny him what would be a fantastic goal

1:23:57 > 1:24:04but all. Andrew Musgrave leading the charge, now 14 seconds. Spitsov is

1:24:04 > 1:24:10right up there, in third in the maroon outfit. He was also on the

1:24:10 > 1:24:15ground in that tumble with Krueger. Right at the beginning of the race.

1:24:15 > 1:24:21Musgrave doing all the hard work. Silver medal position, I am just

1:24:21 > 1:24:29enjoying saying that! Come on, Andrew! Krueger clearly feels as

1:24:29 > 1:24:36though going hard with for climate is to go is his best chance of

1:24:36 > 1:24:42getting on the podium and winning. -- four kilometres to go. When will

1:24:42 > 1:24:48we see a move from Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, the World Cup leader who has

1:24:48 > 1:24:55dominated the circuit over the last four or five months?

1:24:55 > 1:24:58four or five months? Andrew Musgrave in second. Let's not forget about

1:24:58 > 1:25:02Alex Harvey, the Canadian is chasing their nation's first male

1:25:02 > 1:25:08cross-country skiing medal. History on the line all across the first

1:25:08 > 1:25:14seven or eight men. And the gap is growing. 20 seconds. Andrew Musgrave

1:25:14 > 1:25:20needs to keep driving and believing. What a break this is from Krueger.

1:25:20 > 1:25:35If you are new cross-country skiing and more used long-distance running,

1:25:35 > 1:25:42that's the same kind of thing. The Britain needs to hold on, Maurice

1:25:42 > 1:25:49Manificat now in second. Dario Cologna in third, Spitsov, and now a

1:25:49 > 1:25:55few metres open up between Andrew Musgrave and the men who are

1:25:55 > 1:26:03currently not battling for three medals, but two.

1:26:03 > 1:26:07medals, but two. Because Krueger is off the front and going for this.

1:26:07 > 1:26:13Surely at some stage, bearing in mind all that he has been through,

1:26:13 > 1:26:17the wheels. Coming off metaphorically. He has got to tire.

1:26:17 > 1:26:20There are a couple of brutal climbs to come between now and the finish.

1:26:20 > 1:26:28But the longer the lead goes on, and the more it increases, the more

1:26:28 > 1:26:33softly few have. The Norwegians are one of -- self belief he will have.

1:26:33 > 1:26:40The Norwegians are one of the best supported teams, he will know that

1:26:40 > 1:26:46the lead has grown to 22 seconds. Andrew Musgrave now drifting back to

1:26:46 > 1:26:50seventh or eighth, needs to find something in the closing stages. Now

1:26:50 > 1:26:56it's 23 seconds. What a brave performance from this man. Bearing

1:26:56 > 1:27:02in mind he was flat on his face in last place in the opening lap.15

1:27:02 > 1:27:07seconds into it, on his face, gets up and pushes through. Phenomenal

1:27:07 > 1:27:14from him and Musgrave.He is in eighth place at the moment,

1:27:14 > 1:27:17Musgrave. Still a sensational performance if he finishes in the

1:27:17 > 1:27:21top ten. Just allowing a little bit of a gap to open up. No one can

1:27:21 > 1:27:26question his commitment to the sport. And to this race in

1:27:26 > 1:27:31particular. His best chance, to remind you, will come in the 15 K.

1:27:31 > 1:27:41He's not out of this yet. But Krueger now, little over a mile away

1:27:41 > 1:27:51from a slice of British history -- Olympic history. Mo Farah got off

1:27:51 > 1:27:58the deck to win the 10,000 metres last

1:27:58 > 1:28:04last day, and Simen Hegstad Krueger has got off the floor and somehow

1:28:04 > 1:28:09clawed back into the lead. At one stage, Krueger was something like 37

1:28:09 > 1:28:16seconds off the pace of the leaders.

1:28:18 > 1:28:26Andrew Musgrave has gone past Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. He is the

1:28:26 > 1:28:32World Cup leader.

1:28:32 > 1:28:34World Cup leader. Simen Hegstad Krueger, leading. We have just got

1:28:34 > 1:28:41to watch and see whether that lead begins to be eroded. I think they're

1:28:41 > 1:28:53closing a little bit. At one stage, this is Sundby with the rock-solid

1:28:53 > 1:28:59golden beard, he has close the gap from 22 seconds to 14. Andrew

1:28:59 > 1:29:04Musgrave has got to hang on. He has Dario Cologna just in front of him.

1:29:04 > 1:29:14I think Klaebo may have run his race, he is now 32 seconds adrift.

1:29:14 > 1:29:17The man that deal Norwegians are getting excited about might well

1:29:17 > 1:29:21produce a gold medal but it's not going to come in this skiathlon

1:29:21 > 1:29:30unless he does something ridiculous in the last kilometre.

1:29:30 > 1:29:35in the last kilometre. Sundby can see his compatriot up ahead of him

1:29:35 > 1:29:41and he has got Hans Kristian Holland, it could be Norwegian one,

1:29:41 > 1:29:55two, three. Because also, Denis Spitsov, the Olympic Athlete from

1:29:55 > 1:30:01Russia, also fell at the beginning. The Norwegians are closing down on

1:30:01 > 1:30:03Krueger and they have a monstrous climb still to content between now

1:30:03 > 1:30:09and the finish.

1:30:11 > 1:30:15Here it is... He is seriously hurting now. His lead has been

1:30:15 > 1:30:21halved from 22 seconds down to 11. Sundby in second place... He has

1:30:21 > 1:30:26Holund just behind him. Norway, occupying all three medal positions

1:30:26 > 1:30:33at the moment. Their lungs will be absolutely bursting. The Frenchman

1:30:33 > 1:30:40Maurice Manificat coming into the mix with four. Spitsov in fifth.

1:30:40 > 1:30:44Alex Harvey insects, with Andrew Musgrave around about seventh place

1:30:44 > 1:30:53at the moment. Ahead of the defending champion, Cologna.

1:30:53 > 1:30:58Sensational from Andrew Musgrave. Phenomenal so far. What can they do

1:30:58 > 1:31:07in the closing stages? Is it to be glory for son and heartache for

1:31:07 > 1:31:16Krueger? -- for Sundby? Now, he can soak up the applause. What a

1:31:16 > 1:31:23performance! Surely they've left it too late here?

1:31:23 > 1:31:25too late here? An absolutely incredible piece of cross-country

1:31:25 > 1:31:32skiing from all three of these men. Krueger, having fallen right at the

1:31:32 > 1:31:41start of the race is going to finish the day in a blaze of glory. An

1:31:41 > 1:31:44absolutely incredible recovery against one of the best skiathlon

1:31:44 > 1:31:50fields ever assembled. Krueger is the Winter Olympic champion. He was

1:31:50 > 1:31:55down at the start but he wasn't out. He didn't give up. The very epitome

1:31:55 > 1:32:04of what the Winter Olympics is all about. It is a one, two, three for

1:32:04 > 1:32:09the Norwegians. Holland coming home for the bronze. We are still waiting

1:32:09 > 1:32:17for Andrew Musgrave. A sensational effort from the Britain. Cologna

1:32:17 > 1:32:24just ahead. Andrew Musgrave in seventh, in 29th was the best

1:32:24 > 1:32:27position previously for a British cross-country skier. He says we

1:32:27 > 1:32:31Brits can be world class as well. What a race and what a finish from

1:32:31 > 1:32:37Musgrave. The World Cup leader, Klaebo, could only finish in tenth.

1:32:37 > 1:32:43What a race and what a day, if that's the first time you've ever

1:32:43 > 1:32:45watched cross-country skiing, this is how good the sport can be!

1:32:45 > 1:32:51Williams racing.

1:32:51 > 1:32:55Williams racing.What a race from Andrew Musgrave and from Krueger.

1:32:55 > 1:32:58He's never been on the podium before. Now an Olympic gold

1:32:58 > 1:33:07medallist.My goodness.

1:33:07 > 1:33:11medallist.My goodness. Niskanen, the early leader in that race,

1:33:11 > 1:33:18pushing the pace. That fellow, Sundby, in second. Krueger was down,

1:33:18 > 1:33:23flat on his face and contemplating you suspect, for a split second not

1:33:23 > 1:33:29getting to the finish. A reminder, Andrew Musgrave of Great Britain has

1:33:29 > 1:33:33finished in seventh, in this, one of the most brutal tests of

1:33:33 > 1:33:38cross-country skiing. He has beaten, among others, the World Cup leader

1:33:38 > 1:33:47Klaebo. Marcus Hellman, the 2010 skiathlon champion. Daniel

1:33:47 > 1:33:51Rickardsson, the bronze medallist from four years ago. Phenomenal

1:33:51 > 1:33:55performance from the man whose career began at Huntly. Let's take

1:33:55 > 1:34:04nothing away from Krueger. He fell right at the start of the race. Over

1:34:04 > 1:34:10half a minute behind the leaders. At one point. Then he found the

1:34:10 > 1:34:15motivation and the drive, and the belief, to come back into the race

1:34:15 > 1:34:19and sweep past them all on the freestyle, not his favourite

1:34:19 > 1:34:22technique. His best discipline is the classical. He lost the

1:34:22 > 1:34:27opportunity to impose himself on the race in the first 15 kilometres. But

1:34:27 > 1:34:32how brave was that? With four limiters to go. Sundby congratulates

1:34:32 > 1:34:40his compatriot. These guys are metaphorical rock stars in Norway.

1:34:40 > 1:34:44Krueger may not have generated as much publicity in the lead up to

1:34:44 > 1:34:48this as his younger compatriot. But he will be the toast of his nation

1:34:48 > 1:34:56tonight. That is for sure. What a performance. I think it may even top

1:34:56 > 1:35:01Mo Farah climbing off the floor to win the 10,000 metres in London. He

1:35:01 > 1:35:08was so far adrift, for such a long time. He could easily have given up.

1:35:08 > 1:35:14The one, two, three, to Norway. An incredible race for the man just

1:35:14 > 1:35:18crowned the Winter Olympic champion. What an amazing performance from

1:35:18 > 1:35:23Great Britain's Andrew Musgrave, finishing in seventh. Cross-country

1:35:23 > 1:35:37at its finest here in South Korea. Incredible, for Krueger to win that.

1:35:37 > 1:35:43What a race from Andrew Musgrave, the best place finished ever by a

1:35:43 > 1:35:47British cross-country skier was 20 night, that was him in 2014, Sochi.

1:35:47 > 1:35:51He will be delighted with what he has done today. You may notice that

1:35:51 > 1:35:55we've made a move from our balcony on one side of the building to this

1:35:55 > 1:36:00on the other side of the building. We have some special guests joining

1:36:00 > 1:36:04us later on. You see in the backdrop, the ski jump dominating

1:36:04 > 1:36:11the skyline here. Right behind that was the cross-country. That's where

1:36:11 > 1:36:16Andrew Musgrave put that phenomenal race down. But we are going to have

1:36:16 > 1:36:20a look at the headlines on day two, as we head into the late afternoon

1:36:20 > 1:36:26here in Pyeongchang. Here's what has happened so far... American teenager

1:36:26 > 1:36:34read Gerard upset the form book to get the gold ahead of Max Parrot and

1:36:34 > 1:36:41Mark McMorris. Another big winner on day two so far has unfortunately

1:36:41 > 1:36:48been the Pyeongchang weather. High winds meaning the women's slopestyle

1:36:48 > 1:36:54qualification cannot take place today. All the men's Alpine skiing

1:36:54 > 1:36:59race. Another event unaffected by the weather, the figure skating team

1:36:59 > 1:37:03event started before even the Opening Ceremony had taken place. It

1:37:03 > 1:37:08involves the men's and women's pairs and an ice dance element. Today was

1:37:08 > 1:37:12the pairs. Let's go to the Gangneung, Ice Arena and see the

1:37:12 > 1:37:20best of the pair 's action with Robin Cousins and Katherine Downes.

1:37:20 > 1:37:27COMMENTATOR: Looking to retake that top spot. These are some big

1:37:27 > 1:37:35Canadian chances for a gold medal. Perhaps even in the individual. If

1:37:35 > 1:37:38Megan DuHamel and Eric Radford cannot capture the top spot for team

1:37:38 > 1:37:45Canada, who can? Silver at last year's team event, they go for the

1:37:45 > 1:37:53gold this time...

1:38:17 > 1:38:22Opening with a triple twist...

1:38:35 > 1:38:47Side by side triple Lutz...

1:38:51 > 1:38:58The biggest element of the pairs championship... If they go for it,

1:38:58 > 1:39:05it is a throw

1:39:06 > 1:39:09it is a throw quadruple Salchow. Take a breath... They made it clean,

1:39:09 > 1:39:15they got the rotation.

1:40:25 > 1:40:37The triple Lutz, coming down... And they got it.

1:42:31 > 1:42:37The tricks from Canada's big guns, surely enough to see them back in a

1:42:37 > 1:42:40gold medal position?Absolutely. Probably one of the best

1:42:40 > 1:42:44performances of the season so far, that's what they want. Yes, yes,

1:42:44 > 1:42:54yes, says Megan.

1:42:59 > 1:43:04The red box for the throw quadruple, that will be reviewed. I think she

1:43:04 > 1:43:12made the rotation. The hands went down.How many times do we see

1:43:12 > 1:43:16quadruples in pairs skating?Not that often. They've been working on

1:43:16 > 1:43:21it for a while. There were a couple of other teams. We famously saw the

1:43:21 > 1:43:27Chinese team crashing into the boards. At the Olympics. Not the

1:43:27 > 1:43:32best landing for them out of the triple twist. The side by side

1:43:32 > 1:43:40Lutzs.

1:43:40 > 1:43:45Lutzs. No question, she made it on one foot. Clean backwards. The

1:43:45 > 1:43:53triple Salchow, a double toe loop and another.

1:43:53 > 1:43:56and another. You can see her taking those intakes of breath, preparing

1:43:56 > 1:44:07and regrouping herself. If I've ever had a complaint about this pairing,

1:44:07 > 1:44:12their height size and their skating styles are so different that every

1:44:12 > 1:44:16now and again, it doesn't match. It doesn't blend. Then you deliver

1:44:16 > 1:44:21material like they deliver. And it is forgiven. You accept that that is

1:44:21 > 1:44:30the way it is. Rock-solid. Superb. They are so strong, the two of them,

1:44:30 > 1:44:35as athletes.Megan has been around a long time, very strong. She has

1:44:35 > 1:44:40always had this power.You can see the muscles in her back and her

1:44:40 > 1:44:45arms, she is not the delicate female we see in some pairs. She is a real

1:44:45 > 1:44:49powerhouse.

1:44:52 > 1:44:59powerhouse.She says it was a good fight. Yes, it is!

1:45:01 > 1:45:04fight. Yes, it is!148.51, a massive lead for them in this pairs free

1:45:04 > 1:45:09skating then. Ten points clear of the Italians in second place. That

1:45:09 > 1:45:15puts Canada back up to the top of the standings. They are in a gold

1:45:15 > 1:45:19medal position, just where they wanted to be at the end of this

1:45:19 > 1:45:24second day of the team competition. Of course there is the men's ladies

1:45:24 > 1:45:29and ice dance to come tomorrow. Sensational dancing from the

1:45:29 > 1:45:32Canadian pairs, let's have a look and see what it does to the overall

1:45:32 > 1:45:39standings in the team event of the figure skating...

1:45:41 > 1:45:45Canada are one of the favourite and then out in front. It's a much

1:45:45 > 1:45:49closer bunch in the chasing pack but Canada certainly was quite a

1:45:49 > 1:45:54commanding lead ahead of the rest of the elements of that team event.

1:45:58 > 1:46:02Snowboarding became an Olympic sport back in 1998. It had an interesting

1:46:02 > 1:46:07history over the last 20 years, from a sport that wasn't necessarily one

1:46:07 > 1:46:11that many of the athletes look forward to the one that has become

1:46:11 > 1:46:19one of the favourite events here at Pyeongchang.

1:46:19 > 1:46:23When it was announced in 1996 that snowboarding was going to be part of

1:46:23 > 1:46:27the elliptic staple of sports, I was still a pro snowboarder, freeriding

1:46:27 > 1:46:33and enjoying my winters. And like most of the core of my sport, I was

1:46:33 > 1:46:36outraged because skiing was to control the qualification process

1:46:36 > 1:46:40for snowboarding at the elliptic. But two years later come the event,

1:46:40 > 1:46:49I couldn't resist watching the best snowboarders in the world on the

1:46:49 > 1:46:51biggest stage. The best event of the games was the

1:46:51 > 1:46:58parallel giant slalom, not the most inspired discipline but it somehow

1:46:58 > 1:47:04managed to poke the establishment in the eye.Snowboarding's first ever

1:47:04 > 1:47:13Olympic challenge...He has failed eight dogs test.I wonder -- drugs

1:47:13 > 1:47:17test. I won the medal and it was the best moment of my life, and I lost

1:47:17 > 1:47:21the drugs test and it was the worst moment of my life.The idea of the

1:47:21 > 1:47:25first gold medallist testing positive for drugs would be

1:47:25 > 1:47:28ridiculously embarrassing. But in snowboarding it was celebrated

1:47:28 > 1:47:32because their identity is fiercely antiestablishment and

1:47:32 > 1:47:38counterculture. The half pipe went ahead without the legend whose

1:47:38 > 1:47:44boycott of the games was an example of an anti-Olympic attitude in the

1:47:44 > 1:47:51core. The Swiss athlete took the men's optician, the German athletes

1:47:51 > 1:47:58the women. Europe and not win another half pipe gold for 16 years.

1:47:58 > 1:48:04It is incredible to think where pipe riding is today. That was absolutely

1:48:04 > 1:48:08cutting edge but riders are just six feet or two metres out of the pipe

1:48:08 > 1:48:12and the tricks are so basic. You can also see very clearly that fashions

1:48:12 > 1:48:19have changed but that was ever the case in snowboarding.

1:48:19 > 1:48:24Good luck to the athletes and let the games begin!My abiding memory

1:48:24 > 1:48:30of Salt Lake City but two gold medallists. They both hail from one

1:48:30 > 1:48:37of the few places in the world with a super pipe. Kenny Clark would

1:48:37 > 1:48:45still be in contention for a gold medal in this Olympics. -- Kelly

1:48:45 > 1:48:56Clark.The crowd go absolutely wild!

1:49:01 > 1:49:03The 2006 games represented turning point for snowboarding at the

1:49:03 > 1:49:07Olympics. Up until then, half pipe had been the headline act but it was

1:49:07 > 1:49:10difficult for people to relate to the physical act of riding a half

1:49:10 > 1:49:16pipe and some of the ridiculous trick names.

1:49:18 > 1:49:23trick names. In contrast, border cross was beautifully simple. 46

1:49:23 > 1:49:29riders go through, and its aggressive fast and physical. And it

1:49:29 > 1:49:38provided one of the most iconic moments.This is a lot of honour...

1:49:38 > 1:49:44Oh, drama! She is down!

1:49:46 > 1:49:50Oh, drama! She is down! Freedom! Freedom! Unbelievable!The men's

1:49:50 > 1:49:55half pipe also produced a memorable results. But it was no supplies.

1:49:55 > 1:49:58Sean White announced himself on the world stage with his first Olympic

1:49:58 > 1:50:05gold. History repeated itself in Vancouver in 2010. Sean White had

1:50:05 > 1:50:13sewn up the gold medal after his first run so the only question was

1:50:13 > 1:50:25whether he would land the Tomahawk. Are we going to see it? All three?

1:50:25 > 1:50:34Here we go. Has he got it? He has!

1:50:36 > 1:50:39The women's half pipe final from that here is one of my personal

1:50:39 > 1:50:44favourite. This run was one of the most complete I have seen in the men

1:50:44 > 1:50:52or women category, stylish, technical and lots of amplitude.

1:50:52 > 1:50:58Russia saw the introduction of slopestyle welcome by snowboarding,

1:50:58 > 1:51:02because it reflects the kind of snowboarding that people do all over

1:51:02 > 1:51:08the world. So suddenly snowboarding was opened up to everyone and from a

1:51:08 > 1:51:11British point of view, this was even more exciting because we had one of

1:51:11 > 1:51:16the most dominating forces in women's slopestyle.Looking very

1:51:16 > 1:51:24solid for Jenny Jones.Check out the grab! Put the UK out of their

1:51:24 > 1:51:31misery!Jenny Jones, bronze medallist.

1:51:36 > 1:51:39Pyeongchang sees big air make it Olympic debut, another event which

1:51:39 > 1:51:43will have viewers on the edge of their seats and with British

1:51:43 > 1:51:48interest to look forward to. There's no doubt that snowboarding has come

1:51:48 > 1:51:54a long way from Olympic outcast to part of the family.

1:51:54 > 1:51:58Not many would have predicted that. At Aussie I would have sums special

1:51:58 > 1:52:04guests, -- I told you I would have some special guests, wearing

1:52:04 > 1:52:10quarter, Jamie Nicholls, Edley, or joining me. -- Reverend Richard

1:52:10 > 1:52:13Coles.How you would join the balcony? It's cold!

1:52:19 > 1:52:26We just saw the history of the snowboarding of the Olympic Games,

1:52:26 > 1:52:29how is it viewed in the wider snowboarding community?Over the

1:52:29 > 1:52:35last 20 years, there's been a huge progression that we've seen every

1:52:35 > 1:52:39four years, riders wanting to come to the Olympics with new tricks of

1:52:39 > 1:52:44the want to be faster and better. That has accelerated with each

1:52:44 > 1:52:52Olympic cycle. Snowboarding is as much of an art as a sport so there

1:52:52 > 1:52:55is a real push me and pull you as to whether the elliptic has been

1:52:55 > 1:53:04positive. This Olympics especially feels like it's marking and

1:53:04 > 1:53:07transition, it's an accepted part of the sport and people who are

1:53:07 > 1:53:11following the Olympic dream am happy to do so and the sport's ascetic

1:53:11 > 1:53:20side is the other side.How do you view the Olympic snowboarding

1:53:20 > 1:53:23movement? You're behind it, you have got the Team GB kit on and you are

1:53:23 > 1:53:31part of the games.And super excited to be here, it's my second Olympics

1:53:31 > 1:53:35and just to make the team again is a dream come true to represent your

1:53:35 > 1:53:43country. It's good to be here.How has it lived up, your first

1:53:43 > 1:53:48Olympics?It's been an amazing experience my first time here, and

1:53:48 > 1:53:52to have Jamie and Billy around as well to help me out.You have got

1:53:52 > 1:53:57your first runs under way, a bitter disappointment for Jamie with the

1:53:57 > 1:54:02scores you got the first round and then the second run.Something like

1:54:02 > 1:54:08that, I was gutted about my score and I felt like for me, I was gutted

1:54:08 > 1:54:12how low it was. But that's just how competitive snowboarding goes. I

1:54:12 > 1:54:15said it before and those kind of things are totally out of your

1:54:15 > 1:54:18control,.

1:54:18 > 1:54:23You have got to deal with the positives, I landed a man that I was

1:54:23 > 1:54:30proud of and happy with and super happy about that.You got some great

1:54:30 > 1:54:36commentary experience as well, thank you for joining the boys! How do you

1:54:36 > 1:54:40reflect on your first ever Olympic runs?Pretty good, I didn't land

1:54:40 > 1:54:46mine unfortunately. But really gutted about that.Still got a big

1:54:46 > 1:54:52air next week.It has been amazing and the course was really fun to

1:54:52 > 1:54:57ride.How was the course, how did it compare to Sochi?I thought the

1:54:57 > 1:55:01course was brilliant. It's one of the best courses I've ever ridden.

1:55:01 > 1:55:06So many different lines, really creative lines in there and we seem

1:55:06 > 1:55:08they have introduced the sides take-offs which they did not have in

1:55:08 > 1:55:17Sochi. It's a very creative course, more than Sochi. I'm fortunate that

1:55:17 > 1:55:22I didn't get to the finals but I have still got big air.Loads are

1:55:22 > 1:55:29still to come. You were there commentating on the boys and the boy

1:55:29 > 1:55:35who wasn't here, Billy, what did you think of the performances and the

1:55:35 > 1:55:38boys who made it through to the final, don't give away the winner!

1:55:38 > 1:55:43Yesterday qualifying was brilliant, we love it, we love watching

1:55:43 > 1:55:44Yesterday qualifying was brilliant, we love it, we love watching it and

1:55:44 > 1:55:49die testing it. It's extra special when your friends are there writing.

1:55:49 > 1:55:52In the commentary, we said we were gutted for Jamie and we thought it

1:55:52 > 1:55:59was iffy judging, maybe it was there or thereabouts. It's easy to get

1:55:59 > 1:56:06caught up in the emotions. They did themselves proud. In the contest

1:56:06 > 1:56:10they were unlucky, but in practice, they absolutely killed it like every

1:56:10 > 1:56:20now. He put the trick down every single time he practised, but he

1:56:20 > 1:56:24fell in the contest. That's the way it goes. These are the 40 best

1:56:24 > 1:56:31snowboarders in the world and we have three Brits in their and we

1:56:31 > 1:56:35nearly had for. Really pleased to their achievements.The final was

1:56:35 > 1:56:39this morning but before we talk about that, we were supposed to have

1:56:39 > 1:56:41the women today, you were down there, they were cancelled, how

1:56:41 > 1:56:48windy was it?It was bad, with no boarding, if it's constant, you can

1:56:48 > 1:56:54deal with it. If the course is right and the wind is constant, you just

1:56:54 > 1:56:59upload speed. At this course, the riders were already at full feed.

1:56:59 > 1:57:05The problem was it was gusty. One rider would be OK and would make it

1:57:05 > 1:57:09over the job of the next one would get a gust of wind and it would hold

1:57:09 > 1:57:14them up they would go short of the jumps.It important to remember how

1:57:14 > 1:57:19the jumps are, but if you make a mistake, you could get a serious

1:57:19 > 1:57:24injury or worse.Have you had a chance to speak to any since this

1:57:24 > 1:57:30morning? She's now in two straight -- to Aimee. She is now into a

1:57:30 > 1:57:34straight final tomorrow.Less pressure going in, because you have

1:57:34 > 1:57:40not got to worry about qualifications, just straight final.

1:57:40 > 1:57:46Two runs, all nothing! She may have just go for it.Your cousin Katie

1:57:46 > 1:57:50Ormerod was meant to be racing in that, but she had that really

1:57:50 > 1:57:54unfortunate couple of injuries, have you spoken to her, how is she?Yes,

1:57:54 > 1:58:00I'm actually going to see her tomorrow. I was devastated, it was

1:58:00 > 1:58:06awful with her arm and stuff. Going into the second day of practice, she

1:58:06 > 1:58:11is very tense going into the first round, she just slipped off the

1:58:11 > 1:58:14rail. I have seen so many people slipped off the rail and do exactly

1:58:14 > 1:58:19the same but she came out with a broken heel. She was in so much

1:58:19 > 1:58:25pain. I was crying, it made me cry, it was awful. She's family, so.Wish

1:58:25 > 1:58:32her all the very best from all of us, we were also gutted. The boys

1:58:32 > 1:58:37will stay with us, we will look at the men's final in a second. If you

1:58:37 > 1:58:43have any questions, get in touch. I'm not going to hand over to the

1:58:43 > 1:58:48soap style final because you were in the commentary booth, it --

1:58:48 > 1:58:54slopestyle, so you introduce it!No, I'm not that good!Jamie Nicholls

1:58:54 > 1:58:59was in the commentary box for the men's slopestyle final earlier

1:58:59 > 1:59:05today.

1:59:05 > 1:59:09So, Mark Mcmorris, the most successful rider in history.He

1:59:09 > 1:59:13needs to clean up the run and he should see a considerable hike in

1:59:13 > 1:59:22his scores. What he's doing is good. So difficult. The tail slide 450,

1:59:22 > 1:59:28and then a wrong way care to normal on the hip. He looks

1:59:28 > 1:59:33uncharacteristically sketchy.It's always so perfect with Mark

1:59:33 > 1:59:38Mcmorris. Where it used to seeing its flowing for him, but he's

1:59:38 > 1:59:46forcing it it looks like.

1:59:46 > 1:59:51forcing it it looks like. Alley-oop, or against. A front triple well

1:59:51 > 2:00:01held, and aback triple.Anything you can do, I can do!He cannot do it

2:00:01 > 2:00:09better but he can do it.So he has upped his game. He has gone and

2:00:09 > 2:00:13turned a corkscrew. He has opted the second jump and third jumps from his

2:00:13 > 2:00:19first run.

2:00:19 > 2:00:27It is first place, 85.2.That is a good run.

2:00:30 > 2:00:33good run.So, the young rider on whom all American hopes are

2:00:33 > 2:00:42pinned... Redmond Gerard.He has a lot of pressure. He is well

2:00:42 > 2:00:48respected, well liked, loved in the snowboard community.Six of seven

2:00:48 > 2:00:55kids, he built a Snow Park on his back garden in Colorado.And he does

2:00:55 > 2:01:04this... A big nose bone over the goalposts.That is the new desktop

2:01:04 > 2:01:09screensaver. Through the ball... We love that.If you cannot see it or

2:01:09 > 2:01:14hear it, he is letting the nose of the board clip the rail on the way

2:01:14 > 2:01:23over. Now, he needs the Spieth through here. -- he needs the speed.

2:01:23 > 2:01:32Much better speed. He has landed that one!Pumping for speed, he is

2:01:32 > 2:01:41willing at on. He got the triple... Yes!Red Gerard is a cat among the

2:01:41 > 2:01:46pigeons. Wallop!I tell you what you were talking about pressure. The

2:01:46 > 2:01:49whole of America pressure on his shoulders. He has gone and

2:01:49 > 2:01:57delivered.That was clean. Look at that. This is incredible. The man

2:01:57 > 2:02:01who has been forcing square pegs into round holes for the first two

2:02:01 > 2:02:06runs, is he going to drive the frontside triple? We have seen him

2:02:06 > 2:02:11go twice so hard. He wants this. It's the only wake he will take hold

2:02:11 > 2:02:16now. If he can do a frontside triple. The rest of the run isn't

2:02:16 > 2:02:24strong enough without it.

2:02:25 > 2:02:31strong enough without it. 270 on the down bar... A backside 360.He

2:02:31 > 2:02:39proved a lot of people wrong with his rail section today.He needs to

2:02:39 > 2:02:42take it easy on the backside rodeo... And here we go... Hold your

2:02:42 > 2:02:49breath!

2:02:49 > 2:02:54breath! 3.5, is the speed with him? Just a double... He plays it safe.

2:02:54 > 2:03:06He hasn't unveiled a triple. Ooh! A backside triple! To finish off, he

2:03:06 > 2:03:12cleans the run, steering clear of the triple on the second jump, what

2:03:12 > 2:03:17did the judges do now?This is it, the judges have a huge decision to

2:03:17 > 2:03:22make now.

2:03:24 > 2:03:28make now. 86! Silver medal position for Max Parrot, the American

2:03:28 > 2:03:3617-year-old Red Gerard storms the men's slopestyle finals. Mark

2:03:36 > 2:03:41McMorris will be bronze again. Max Parrot in silver, two Canadian

2:03:41 > 2:03:47medals, one American. The Norwegians are left wanting.Turning up with a

2:03:47 > 2:03:51packet of crayons, delivering a money!That lived up to all

2:03:51 > 2:03:56expectations.

2:03:56 > 2:04:02expectations. -- Monet. Red Gerard, taking the gold back to the United

2:04:02 > 2:04:08States. Max Parrot in silver. Mark McMorris with a bronze medal.The

2:04:08 > 2:04:13United States of America!Red Gerard, the American meat in a

2:04:13 > 2:04:19Canadian sandwich. A gold medal. The kid from Colorado in the first time

2:04:19 > 2:04:34of asking. Congratulations, Red . Life will be very different for

2:04:34 > 2:04:40him when he gets home. Sensational stuff from Red Gerard in the final.

2:04:40 > 2:04:41Jamie and

2:04:41 > 2:04:42stuff from Red Gerard in the final. Jamie and Rowan are alongside me.

2:04:42 > 2:04:50Put into context that race, how good was it?He was clearly, I mean, he

2:04:50 > 2:04:59is from top to bottom nailing it. A superb clean run. The whole of the

2:04:59 > 2:05:03course, from going over the quarter pipe take-off, and into the down

2:05:03 > 2:05:08flip, nobody else was doing that. Just him. And the side take-off on

2:05:08 > 2:05:13the second. The jump feature, nobody else is doing that. He definitely

2:05:13 > 2:05:19deserved to win.He was amazing. 17 years old, would you have picked him

2:05:19 > 2:05:23to be a gold medallist at the end of that final?He was definitely up

2:05:23 > 2:05:28there, I think. He has been smashing it for the last few years. He was

2:05:28 > 2:05:34definitely up there, one of the few who would do it.And he is a

2:05:34 > 2:05:38likeable and will respected guy on the circuit.Definitely. Everybody

2:05:38 > 2:05:40loves Red

2:05:40 > 2:05:41the circuit.Definitely. Everybody loves Red, he is amazing and a good

2:05:41 > 2:05:49kid. He is a good snowboarder on the cause. Everybody respects him. Not

2:05:49 > 2:05:54only has he won a gold, but he is good for snowboarding as well.We do

2:05:54 > 2:05:56have a funny Instagram picture that they will put

2:05:56 > 2:05:57have a funny Instagram picture that they will put on the screen of Red

2:05:57 > 2:06:04Gerard when he was a youngster...Is that the one with the glasses on? I

2:06:04 > 2:06:09love that picture!I bet you don't have any of these embarrassing

2:06:09 > 2:06:15pictures...!You think, was it taken last week or something!

2:06:15 > 2:06:17pictures...!You think, was it taken last week or something!You will all

2:06:17 > 2:06:22be back and he will be in the big air. For both of you, probably

2:06:22 > 2:06:26slopestyle, that is your favourite events? Are you setting your sights

2:06:26 > 2:06:31high on the big air?I think slopestyle is my favourite, but the

2:06:31 > 2:06:34last season I've had really good results in the big air. I'm looking

2:06:34 > 2:06:40forward to it. Hopefully I will get to land it!I have seen your

2:06:40 > 2:06:47training shots, and the big blow-up trampoline kind of thing. How has it

2:06:47 > 2:06:55been going?If it wasn't for UK Sport and the funding towards the

2:06:55 > 2:06:58airbag, it has massively helped. It's helped both of us with our

2:06:58 > 2:07:03training for these games. Not only have we managed to learn new tricks

2:07:03 > 2:07:08but also to work on the tricks we can already do. But in a risk-free

2:07:08 > 2:07:12environment which really helps, so close to the games. You don't want

2:07:12 > 2:07:17to be injured. Two months out, when we were training back in December,

2:07:17 > 2:07:24we were already scared. To have that is amazing. We've both learn tricks

2:07:24 > 2:07:31on it and hopefully we can add it into the big air.I took a trip down

2:07:31 > 2:07:36to the big air. It is high! It is a big and a high jump. What goes

2:07:36 > 2:07:41through your mind before you put yourself down the slope, with a huge

2:07:41 > 2:07:47kick in front of you?Your first run is always the scariest. I don't like

2:07:47 > 2:07:52to go first. Normally I let someone else go first! Get over it, make

2:07:52 > 2:08:01sure you don't land on your knuckle. It is basically where the start of

2:08:01 > 2:08:08the landing is.You definitely don't want to land there. It isn't good on

2:08:08 > 2:08:15your knees.I can imagine. Billy Morgan is probably the big air

2:08:15 > 2:08:23specialist between you?He got an X Games bronze in it.There will be a

2:08:23 > 2:08:29high expectation from him. What would be good for you?As always,

2:08:29 > 2:08:36coming into any contest, it's always about trying your best. If you put

2:08:36 > 2:08:41down your own, and do your best that day, you can walk away proud. I hope

2:08:41 > 2:08:46I can go and do the runs that I want to do. Maybe it gets me in the

2:08:46 > 2:08:50finals or maybe not but if I can land it, I would be happy. ?The

2:08:50 > 2:08:58same. Land the best possible trick I can do on the jump. If it gets to

2:08:58 > 2:09:00the finals, that's amazing but if not, I've done what I came to do,

2:09:00 > 2:09:09which is my best.Can you give us a small insight into life as a GB

2:09:09 > 2:09:13athlete?And not even sure when we start training!I believe the 21st

2:09:13 > 2:09:21is the big air...18th, training I believe. We have about a week off.

2:09:21 > 2:09:25Spend time enjoying the games, watch the other events and support

2:09:25 > 2:09:28team-mates in other disciplines. Have a good time and stuff, some of

2:09:28 > 2:09:33my family are coming out tomorrow so I will see them. And I will see

2:09:33 > 2:09:38Katie tomorrow which I'm really excited about.We will pass on our

2:09:38 > 2:09:43best. Thank you for coming up to our freezing balcony! We are going

2:09:43 > 2:09:50inside. Going to an Ice Arena for the speed skating. Sven Kramer is

2:09:50 > 2:09:55going for his fourth gold medal in a row in the 5000 metres speed

2:09:55 > 2:09:55skating.

2:09:55 > 2:09:57row in the 5000 metres speed skating. If you are not clued up on

2:09:57 > 2:10:05it, this is our handy guide...

2:10:06 > 2:10:09it, this is our handy guide... In speed skating, the aim is simple.

2:10:09 > 2:10:14Race a defined distance as fast as possible. It's the ultimate test of

2:10:14 > 2:10:18speed and technique. The event expose on a 400 meter oval track,

2:10:18 > 2:10:22almost four times larger than the short cause. In most individual

2:10:22 > 2:10:26events, skaters race in pairs. On separate tracks, known as the inner

2:10:26 > 2:10:31and outer lanes.

2:10:35 > 2:10:40and outer lanes. Event distances range from 500 metres to 10,000

2:10:40 > 2:10:44metres for men, and 500 metres to 5000 metres for women. Two teams of

2:10:44 > 2:10:48three can compete against each other starting from opposite sides. The

2:10:48 > 2:10:53mass start is a new discipline lasting 16 laps, and is the only

2:10:53 > 2:10:56individual event where long track speed skaters can be directly

2:10:56 > 2:11:01against each other. Sven Kramer of the Netherlands has back-to-back

2:11:01 > 2:11:055000 metre gold medals, but he is targeting an elusive 10,000 metre

2:11:05 > 2:11:14title. His Dutch compatriot will be competing in her final Olympics in

2:11:14 > 2:11:22Pyeongchang. COMMENTATOR: Welcome to the Gangneung overall, and in the

2:11:22 > 2:11:29nick of time, is the sixth pairing of 11 in the men's 5000 metres. It

2:11:29 > 2:11:34is not a heat, it is a pairing. They are not strictly raising one another

2:11:34 > 2:11:41in the sense that they are actually racing in a whole field, trying

2:11:42 > 2:11:44racing in a whole field, trying to set it. Andrea Giovannini, in the

2:11:44 > 2:11:47early going here, he is the fastest of everyone who has gone at this

2:11:47 > 2:11:53point, in green. In red, it's outside the quickest time, but the

2:11:53 > 2:11:58green means it is the number-1 time of all, not just of the pairing.

2:11:58 > 2:12:04Wilf O'Reilly, he is alongside me here. It will be some meeting.

2:12:04 > 2:12:14Billed as a heavyweight clash between Sven Kramer, a three-time

2:12:14 > 2:12:19Olympic champion, and now of Canada, Ted-Jan Bloeman. He didn't get into

2:12:19 > 2:12:25the Dutch team of four years ago, but then he could move to Canada.

2:12:25 > 2:12:28His father was born in New Brunswick and since then he has gone like a

2:12:28 > 2:12:38drain! A lot to come in this event? 5000 metres, 12.5 laps of the 400

2:12:38 > 2:12:46metre track. Andrea Giovannini almost one seconds slower than the

2:12:46 > 2:12:50leaders at the moment. As the skaters exchange lanes, one goes to

2:12:50 > 2:12:57the outside. Norway's Haavard Boekko on the inner lane there. Just coming

2:12:57 > 2:13:08around the inside lane. Ten laps to go.

2:13:08 > 2:13:12go.Both are outside of the fastest times so far. Haavard Boekko of

2:13:12 > 2:13:18Norway, with nine laps to go. The 2011 world champion of the shorter

2:13:18 > 2:13:24distance, 1500 metres, and he's an Olympic bronze medallist, he won in

2:13:24 > 2:13:35Vancouver. And in the 1500, fourth in the event in 2010. Boekko vast

2:13:35 > 2:13:37experience to come interesting to see if he has a chance of perhaps

2:13:37 > 2:13:43being an outsider for a medal. It's a tall order for him. He will need

2:13:43 > 2:13:46to get moving from where he is at the moment, over one second down on

2:13:46 > 2:13:57the fastest time. The leader in the clubhouse here, Seunghoon Lee. He

2:13:57 > 2:14:02had a very fast finish and the crowd went absolutely wild inside of this

2:14:02 > 2:14:068000 capacity arena. Barely a spare seat in the house. Far more

2:14:06 > 2:14:15excitement to come. Largely ceded. It should get better and better the

2:14:15 > 2:14:23longer it goes on. This is the sixth pairing of 11.Giovannini, in the

2:14:23 > 2:14:27slipstream behind Boekko. In the inner lane, skaters have one arm on

2:14:27 > 2:14:31their back. A tight and tax position. That blue line on the

2:14:31 > 2:14:39screen is the winning time at this particular time in the race.

2:14:39 > 2:14:41particular time in the race. Four hundredths of a second outside of

2:14:41 > 2:14:47the leading time at this particular moment.To give you an idea of what

2:14:47 > 2:14:51we expect from Giovannini, the Italian on the left-hand side of the

2:14:51 > 2:14:54picture, he was 70th in the event four years ago but he does have

2:14:54 > 2:14:59fourth place and sixth place in 5000 metre races in the World Cup series

2:14:59 > 2:15:05over this winter -- 17th.Both skaters have an advantage, they know

2:15:05 > 2:15:09what time has been previously skated. As they come around the

2:15:09 > 2:15:12turn, you should be able to see the coaches on the left-hand side of the

2:15:12 > 2:15:18screen. Giving them the lap times, the other coach will be telling them

2:15:18 > 2:15:23whether they need to increase in speed or not.Until the end, until

2:15:23 > 2:15:28that final lap or so, how important is it that these athletes ensure

2:15:28 > 2:15:31they do not race against each other and measure where they are compared

2:15:31 > 2:15:35to each other, and actually concentrate on their own schedule?

2:15:35 > 2:15:38That is the most important part, concentrating on your schedule and

2:15:38 > 2:15:46then perhaps the last 800 metres, really put down to the floor and

2:15:46 > 2:15:51enable yourself to speed up.

2:15:51 > 2:15:57This is the second and final batch of skaters here in the men's 5000

2:15:57 > 2:16:02metres, they resurfaced the ice and we had to wait for it harder not

2:16:02 > 2:16:08ready for what will be the big hitters in this competition. At the

2:16:08 > 2:16:15moment we have harboured Paco from Norway, only sixth fastest --

2:16:15 > 2:16:25haven't Paco, only the 16th the sixth fastest.The quickest has been

2:16:25 > 2:16:37Lee Seung-hoon, who did not make the Vancouver games, but went on to win

2:16:37 > 2:16:45the Olympic gold medal.Not quite as strong this winter, tenth is the

2:16:45 > 2:16:53best place that he has managed so far, Giovannini going slower and

2:16:53 > 2:16:59slower. 1.5 laps to go for these pair.You can see Bokko, the left

2:16:59 > 2:17:11shoulder is wobbling, speed is all about leg power. He has that tight,

2:17:11 > 2:17:16tucked position. He's not maintaining it, he's not staying

2:17:16 > 2:17:21tight on the blue line signifying the markers on the 400 metres.You

2:17:21 > 2:17:25could see that he looks quite upright there and stiff going around

2:17:25 > 2:17:35that bend. This is the final bend for harboured -- Bokko from Norway.

2:17:35 > 2:17:43He has found the going tough here and for the time being, the Korean

2:17:43 > 2:17:48skater Lee Seung-hoon will be the leader. He lost an awful lot of time

2:17:48 > 2:17:53in the closing stages. And Giovannini from Italy, way down in

2:17:53 > 2:18:05the standings. Tenth fastest, and night -- Bokko will be disappointed.

2:18:05 > 2:18:11I think his face says it all. We can see him in the replay, looks quite

2:18:11 > 2:18:17comfortable, the racing suit is very important, wind resistance, you can

2:18:17 > 2:18:21see over the knees and the forehead, they try to do it extensive wind

2:18:21 > 2:18:31tunnel testing so the wind goes over it.So is this quite similar to

2:18:31 > 2:18:36track cycling, with constant pushing at the boundaries and the roles of

2:18:36 > 2:18:41regulations in terms of the type of materials and the extent to which

2:18:41 > 2:18:44you can cover yourself up? Absolutely. One of the things that

2:18:44 > 2:18:48the speed skaters have to realise, particularly in the short tracks, he

2:18:48 > 2:18:53saw a lot of the girls, Elise Christie yesterday, with their hair

2:18:53 > 2:18:57outside of their helmet. These are areas where you can win thousands of

2:18:57 > 2:19:08the second.So Davide Ghiotto from Italy will be in the seventh

2:19:08 > 2:19:11pairing, face here in the World Championship, quite a character, as

2:19:11 > 2:19:18you can see, the 24-year-old. And Alexis Contin, the only French speed

2:19:18 > 2:19:25skater hit at this competition. He was fourth in the 10,000 metres in

2:19:25 > 2:19:33Vancouver. So, the white armband of Ghiotto signalling that he starts on

2:19:33 > 2:19:40the inside lane. The red armband of Contin sharing that he is on the

2:19:40 > 2:19:44outside. And remember, they will exchange later, swapped over, down

2:19:44 > 2:19:50the back straight, each lap. To ensure that everybody covers the

2:19:50 > 2:19:56same distance.

2:19:56 > 2:20:00same distance.Both skaters having an in-line skating background, moved

2:20:00 > 2:20:05across to long track speed skating because in-line speed skating is

2:20:05 > 2:20:12still not some political discipline. You see many of skaters moving

2:20:12 > 2:20:15across from -- still got eight summer Olympic discipline. You see

2:20:15 > 2:20:22many of the skaters moving across. You saw the changeover just then,

2:20:22 > 2:20:24people may be wondering watching at home, what happens when they are

2:20:24 > 2:20:30neck and neck on the ice, who assert their authority? Who has the right

2:20:30 > 2:20:38of way? Or do you have athletes colliding?It happens very

2:20:38 > 2:20:40occasionally but essentially the rules state that the skater on the

2:20:40 > 2:20:44outer lane, because they have travelled the furthest distance,

2:20:44 > 2:20:51they have the right of way.Ten laps to go, next time over the line,

2:20:51 > 2:20:57coming up shortly.

2:20:57 > 2:20:59coming up shortly. Ghiotto was sixth in the recent European chaplain

2:20:59 > 2:21:09chips over this distance. -- Championships.

2:21:09 > 2:21:13You can see the coaching staff with their boards on the side of the

2:21:13 > 2:21:19tracks, a minute and a half into a race which will probably be between

2:21:19 > 2:21:27six and a quarter and six and a half minutes. The latest time check now,

2:21:27 > 2:21:37and Contin just under half a second outside the quickest time. Sixth

2:21:37 > 2:21:40fastest at this point and Ghiotto with some grants to make up, just

2:21:40 > 2:21:48the ninth fastest skater.Nice tucked position from both skaters,

2:21:48 > 2:21:52evenly matched. The danger is that you start skating against your

2:21:52 > 2:21:55opponent as opposed to the time but it's quite helpful if the skaters

2:21:55 > 2:22:04are fairly evenly matched. Aerodynamics key in sports such as

2:22:04 > 2:22:10this, what is the ideal, a small frontal area, bigger Crouch? Does

2:22:10 > 2:22:14that compensate in terms of someone who is more powerful and bigger but

2:22:14 > 2:22:21not very aerodynamic?That's right, you're looking for a very rounded

2:22:21 > 2:22:25back area, tucked position, the blue line there is actually signifying a

2:22:25 > 2:22:31leading time.

2:22:31 > 2:22:36leading time.He is slower than the leader at the moment, Lee from

2:22:36 > 2:22:43Korea. Close enough that he can keep going, and you fastest time could be

2:22:43 > 2:22:51in reach. Talking about dynamics? Yes, you can see a lot of skaters,

2:22:51 > 2:22:56Contin has taped over his skates and that has a dual purpose, one, to

2:22:56 > 2:22:59keep the laces fastened but also make sure that the wind goes up

2:22:59 > 2:23:07above the skates.

2:23:07 > 2:23:13above the skates. He has brought it back

2:23:13 > 2:23:20back down and he is creeping back slowly but surely.

2:23:21 > 2:23:24slowly but surely. Contin has had some success in the World

2:23:24 > 2:23:29Championship 's.We will see some mass start races in this Olympics

2:23:29 > 2:23:38for the first time. He is now the leader of the track overall. The

2:23:38 > 2:23:44fastest we have seen so far, Contin. He looks very comfortable. You

2:23:44 > 2:23:48normally see a grimace on his face but you can see he's concentrating

2:23:48 > 2:23:51very well, looking on the inside of the term. This is still a little bit

2:23:51 > 2:23:56slow at the moment. The last lap has not been as quick as we would have

2:23:56 > 2:24:04liked.The Italian is over four seconds slower. Way down of those

2:24:04 > 2:24:18being out on the ice so far.I think that is one of the powers and the

2:24:18 > 2:24:25skills of Sven Kramer, he can skate a split second difference lap to

2:24:25 > 2:24:32lap. His coach doesn't even need to identify what time he skating.

2:24:32 > 2:24:38Kramer said the Olympic record fastest time in Sochi. There's every

2:24:38 > 2:24:44chance that a livid record could go. -- that Olympic record. Contin

2:24:44 > 2:24:49trying to find some speed in his legs in the closing stages to become

2:24:49 > 2:24:57the new leader in the clubhouse. For.

2:24:58 > 2:25:05Two laps to go and he is losing ground. He just got inside the

2:25:05 > 2:25:10fastest time but it's slipping away from him. Ghiotto will not figure

2:25:10 > 2:25:19anywhere near the top of the leaderboard at all.

2:25:19 > 2:25:21leaderboard at all. He's not going to add a high position to that six

2:25:21 > 2:25:30in the European Championships. Contin from Brittany takes the Bell,

2:25:30 > 2:25:36400 metres to go as he grits his teeth down the back straight. What's

2:25:36 > 2:25:38he got left?

2:25:43 > 2:25:49Contin is not going to set a new fastest time. But how close can he

2:25:49 > 2:25:59get? Into the finishing straight. Alexis Contin from France the

2:25:59 > 2:26:02quickest of this pairing, four seconds outside the fastest time.

2:26:02 > 2:26:10It's still Lee Seung-hoon from Korea who leads so far. And a very tired

2:26:10 > 2:26:21Davide Ghiotto from Italy, 15 seconds back.

2:26:21 > 2:26:28We can see Contin and Ghiotto here, again, those racing suits, the left

2:26:28 > 2:26:36arm at the back, trying to gain the maximum slipstream. And he's pushing

2:26:36 > 2:26:39his foot out because it's when the skate crosses the line that the time

2:26:39 > 2:26:53will stop. A disappointing race for Contin.He has 6.18 and the two

2:26:53 > 2:26:58Italians going in consecutive pairings. There's our leader, Lee

2:26:58 > 2:27:08Seung-hoon. Waiting, watching on. But I think knowing that it's only a

2:27:08 > 2:27:13matter of time before his position at the top of the leaderboard

2:27:13 > 2:27:20disappears. Jan Blokhuijsen from the Netherlands and Peter Michael the

2:27:20 > 2:27:27next up on the track. Blokhuijsen the silver medallist four years ago

2:27:27 > 2:27:32in Sochi, plenty of support inside the stadium for him. And Peter

2:27:32 > 2:27:36Michael from New Zealand, the first Kiwi to win a speed skating while

2:27:36 > 2:27:42chanting chips medal, he got bronze -- World Championship medal, he got

2:27:42 > 2:27:46bronze last year here and added the team pursuit silver. A good pedigree

2:27:46 > 2:27:56here. 12.5 laps of the track, this is not heat, they just happen to be

2:27:56 > 2:28:02going in pairs. It is a one and done in the 5000 metres. One chance to

2:28:02 > 2:28:09set the fastest time.Both skaters away. They know already the time

2:28:09 > 2:28:14they will be looking for but of course with the big guns still to

2:28:14 > 2:28:17come, it's important that they absolutely try and get the best time

2:28:17 > 2:28:21that they can possibly get. Jan Black

2:28:25 > 2:28:33-- Jan Blokhuijsen already half a second inside Lee from Korea.So

2:28:33 > 2:28:36Blokhuijsen from the Netherlands already has three Olympic medals,

2:28:36 > 2:28:48one of each colour, in his career and he has team pursuit medal.

2:28:48 > 2:28:566:11.91 is his best. Both of these skaters inside the previous fastest

2:28:56 > 2:29:06time of Lee Seung-hoon. A very fast start from Blokhuijsen.His skates

2:29:06 > 2:29:13are moulded to his feet and they have a mechanism, about ten years

2:29:13 > 2:29:16old, it is a hinge mechanism which allows you to get more pressure into

2:29:16 > 2:29:22the ice and more speed.It is the clicking sound that you can hear

2:29:22 > 2:29:26from time to time. If you can look closely, you can see a little

2:29:26 > 2:29:30sister, a little gap at the back of the skates when you lift them up of

2:29:30 > 2:29:36the ice.The coaches are there and they will be instructing the

2:29:36 > 2:29:42athletes, of their lap times, are they on their schedule but they

2:29:42 > 2:29:48pre-decided having seen the ice conditions.What is the advantage of

2:29:48 > 2:29:56having clamped skates? They don't in short track races.In short track

2:29:56 > 2:30:00races, the Blade opens so it would be too dangerous. So the Skating

2:30:00 > 2:30:12union decided to ban them in short track speed skating.So Blokhuijsen

2:30:12 > 2:30:16in the traditional colours of the Netherlands, this is the sport in

2:30:16 > 2:30:21Holland, they absolutely love it. Dutch radio and TV are here in great

2:30:21 > 2:30:24numbers presenting their TV and radio programmes from the Gangneung

2:30:24 > 2:30:29Oval.

2:30:30 > 2:30:33Oval.We're looking for clean sweep, the ladies won the gold, silver and

2:30:33 > 2:30:39bronze yesterday in the 3000 metres. And earlier, the Dutch skater didn't

2:30:39 > 2:30:42perform very well said at least we won't have a clean sweep here today.

2:30:42 > 2:30:47Bob De Vries not as impressive as many as would have exacted. Seven

2:30:47 > 2:30:54laps to go. While inside the fastest times. Blokhuijsen performing very

2:30:54 > 2:31:04well and beginning the board at the side of the tracks of the schedule.

2:31:04 > 2:31:20Is the coach there,.Jan Blokhuijsen going out on a schedule of 6.12,

2:31:20 > 2:31:276.10.6.10 is the Olympic record. He knows he needs to do those kinds of

2:31:27 > 2:31:31times to be competitive for a medal, never mind trying to cause an upset

2:31:31 > 2:31:36and get to the top of the podium. The skaters trying to stay as tight

2:31:36 > 2:31:42as possible. Drifting out quite a lot there, he has two skate more

2:31:42 > 2:31:46distance, more metres, then necessarily.Presumably the key is

2:31:46 > 2:31:51to stay as close to the blue line as much as possible, all the way

2:31:51 > 2:31:57around. Still nearly four seconds up on the time of Seunghoon Lee. Eking

2:31:57 > 2:32:04out every fraction of a second, to give themselves a chance. The

2:32:04 > 2:32:11favourites are still to come out here on the eyes. Jan Blokhuijsen of

2:32:11 > 2:32:16the Netherlands, four laps to go. He may be just inside of that Olympic

2:32:16 > 2:32:24record. He lost a bit of ground on the last lap. Just under four laps

2:32:24 > 2:32:27to go now. He is still looking in control of his effort, Jan

2:32:27 > 2:32:33Blokhuijsen.

2:32:33 > 2:32:36Blokhuijsen.He just shouted, stay down low! Ethan Lowe! Make

2:32:36 > 2:32:47everything so efficient.

2:32:47 > 2:32:51everything so efficient. Jan Blokhuijsen, perhaps starting to

2:32:51 > 2:32:58find the going tough. Remember, Lee Seunghoon had a big sprint in the

2:32:58 > 2:33:05final couple of laps, he pulled it out of the bag. Jan Blokhuijsen will

2:33:05 > 2:33:11have to dig in here. Yet he comes, into the finishing straight. You can

2:33:11 > 2:33:19see the effort on his face. Jan Blokhuijsen getting a slowdown as he

2:33:19 > 2:33:23can. Maintaining an aerodynamic position. Adding the inside line of

2:33:23 > 2:33:29the brand. He's done much better their competitor last time. 200

2:33:29 > 2:33:34metres to go, but cows and moving to the outer lane. He needs to stay

2:33:34 > 2:33:40tight on this. Peter Michael of New Zealand, inside the previous fastest

2:33:40 > 2:33:46time. As you can see, he is behind the Dutchman. The blue line marks

2:33:46 > 2:33:51the fastest time before this pairing. It's going to be close! The

2:33:51 > 2:33:57crowd are being made aware of that. Michael, of New Zealand, has perhaps

2:33:57 > 2:34:02saved the best until last. He has a big spread here. Jan Blokhuijsen's

2:34:02 > 2:34:06legs will be screaming at him now. They are really hurting. Here they

2:34:06 > 2:34:12come, into the finishing straight... Will we have a new fastest time? We

2:34:12 > 2:34:17most certainly are, but by how much? Peter Michael, taking it on the

2:34:17 > 2:34:22line. Just inside of the previous time set by Lee Seunghoon. Michael

2:34:22 > 2:34:31of New Zealand 6:14.0 seven. Looking so good for so long. Leading lap

2:34:31 > 2:34:39after lap. His time was only good enough for fourth place. Already he

2:34:39 > 2:34:43is outside of the medal placings. He clearly didn't quite judge 's effort

2:34:43 > 2:34:49to perfection but Michael really did. Keeping his powder dry until it

2:34:49 > 2:34:54mattered at the end. Having ensured that he was in the ballpark. Hanging

2:34:54 > 2:34:59in behind the Dutchman. Disappointment for Jan Blokhuijsen.

2:34:59 > 2:35:02But Peter Michael with a superb last two laps. You could really see that

2:35:02 > 2:35:08effort. Coming in, coming from in-line skating. Accelerating,

2:35:08 > 2:35:13racing against the clock. Completely different racing against other

2:35:13 > 2:35:19competitors.And you can see the frustration and disappointment on

2:35:19 > 2:35:25the face of the Dutchman there. It hasn't been a day so far. Of course,

2:35:25 > 2:35:30that will all be forgotten if Sven Kramer takes his fourth Olympic gold

2:35:30 > 2:35:36medal. We don't have long to find out. Lee Seunghoon is still in the

2:35:36 > 2:35:41silver medal position there, Peter Michael, the new leader, the first

2:35:41 > 2:35:45Kiwi to win a speed skating World Championship medal, the first from

2:35:45 > 2:35:49New Zealand to win a gold medal at a World Cup event, winning over 5000

2:35:49 > 2:35:58metres in 2016 in a stunner. He had success in his career already. He is

2:35:58 > 2:36:02currently the leader at the moment. This will be really interesting.

2:36:02 > 2:36:08This pairing.

2:36:08 > 2:36:12This pairing. The world record-holder from Canada, Ted-Jan

2:36:12 > 2:36:20Bloeman. He set it on the back end of last year. And Norway,

2:36:20 > 2:36:24represented by Sverre Pedersen. The 25-year-old from Bergen, he has won

2:36:24 > 2:36:29World Cup races this winter, including at 5000 metres, this

2:36:29 > 2:36:32distance. We will talk more about Ted-Jan Bloeman when we are under

2:36:32 > 2:36:36way. But the billing ahead of this is it could be a head-to-head

2:36:36 > 2:36:41heavyweight clash, between Ted-Jan Bloeman and Sven Kramer, going in

2:36:41 > 2:36:48the next pairing. The way they go, 12.5 laps of the track in the men's

2:36:48 > 2:36:53Olympic 5000 metres. Ted-Jan Bloeman, basically could not get

2:36:53 > 2:37:01into the Dutch team four years ago in Sochi. His father was born in New

2:37:01 > 2:37:06Brunswick. He has blossomed, he has done really well. If he comes back

2:37:06 > 2:37:12today, it really would come back to haunt the Dutch! Certainly, he is

2:37:12 > 2:37:18here to score goal. His coach from Holland as well there with the white

2:37:18 > 2:37:25cap on the left-hand side. They are here to pick up the gold medal.The

2:37:25 > 2:37:31world number one this winter. But in three head-to-head meetings with

2:37:31 > 2:37:35Kramer he was beating each time. Yet to take the scalp of the great

2:37:35 > 2:37:39Kramer in a head-to-head matchup. He has certainly shown the ability to

2:37:39 > 2:37:52make life uncomfortable for Kramer, certainly.A close cross over.

2:37:52 > 2:37:56Ted-Jan Bloeman nearly went into the back of the Norwegian. They have to

2:37:56 > 2:38:00be careful there. That the Norwegian doesn't receive a penalty and maybe

2:38:00 > 2:38:08not even finish in the ranking. Sverre Pedersen struggled in the

2:38:08 > 2:38:11World Championships, when they were held here a year ago. He had a bad

2:38:11 > 2:38:18cold, which affected his efforts. Ranked number three in the world. He

2:38:18 > 2:38:25is certainly coming into this not considered, or not spoken about as a

2:38:25 > 2:38:32potential winner but certainly as a potential bronze medallist in this.

2:38:32 > 2:38:36Sven Kramer decided not to compete in all of the World Cup 's see you

2:38:36 > 2:38:41do get a skewed result in terms of where Kramer should be represented

2:38:41 > 2:38:48as opposed to to the Norwegian skater.On the inside lane, there

2:38:48 > 2:38:51are three lanes on the track. They skate quickly on the inside. They

2:38:51 > 2:38:56are the competitors for future pairings, just limbering up. They

2:38:56 > 2:39:00are allowed on the track as long as they stay on the inside. That's what

2:39:00 > 2:39:07it is there four. Ted-Jan Bloeman is not .54 of a second inside of the