Winter Olympics: GB's Andrew Musgrave finishes seventh in skiathlon

Andrew Musgrave made his Olympic debut in Vancouver in 2010, aged just 19

Andrew Musgrave produced the best performance by a Briton in an Olympic cross country event as he finished seventh in the men's skiathlon at the Pyeongchang Games.

The 27-year-old, who held the previous best having finished 29th in the Sochi 2014 sprint, moved into second with 5km remaining of the gruelling 30km race.

However, the Scot was caught by the pack on the final circuit.

Norway's Simen Hegstad Kruger clinched gold as his country completed a 1-2-3.

Musgrave will compete in his favoured event, the 15km freestyle, and also in the team sprint competition with childhood friend Andrew Young.

Six gold medals were decided on day two after the men's downhill skiing was postponed because of high winds, with 17-year-old snowboarder Red Gerard claiming the USA's first title of the Games.

The weather also resulted in the cancellation of the women's slopestyle qualification event, which meant Great Britain's Aimee Fuller went straight into Monday's final (01:00 GMT).

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Valiant effort from Musgrave

Musgrave told BBC Sport he was a "little bit disappointed" not to finish on the podium.

"When we had a lap and a half to go I was feeling really good and confident," he said. "I thought I'd be able to get a medal.

"I tried to keep up with Simen Hegstad Kruger and went a little bit hard and slipped back through the field.

"At least I know I'm in good form. The 15km should be my best event - I should be in a fight for a medal."

He added: "It's a decent result but I'm not at the Olympics to come seventh. I'm here to fight for a win."

Poole-born Musgrave, a product of Aberdeenshire's Huntly Nordic Ski Club, has been improving since he made his Olympic debut at Vancouver 2010. His best finish there was 51st and he then recorded a 29th-place finish in the sprint at Sochi 2014.

This season he signalled his intent of finally winning an Olympic medal with a third-place finish at the World Cup event in Italy in the 15km individual freestyle.

• Feature: Cross-country medal 'realistic' - Musgrave

The men's 15km+15km skiathlon is a mass start cross country event in which competitors swap techniques midway through the race.

There is a pit-stop halfway through the race where athletes change skis and poles to go from classic to free technique.

Callum Smith, the other Briton in a field of 68 starters, finished in 57th place while Ireland's Thomas Maloney Westgard was 60th.

Fuller through after qualification cancellation

Britain's Fuller will compete in Monday's women's slopestyle final after qualifying was cancelled on Sunday because of strong winds.

The event was due to start at 04:30 GMT but was called off 40 minutes later after the start was initially delayed.

All athletes will now compete in the final, starting at 01:00 GMT, and have two runs each rather than three.

Earlier on Sunday the men's downhill event was postponed until Thursday because of strong winds.

Fuller, 26, will be hoping to emulate Jenny Jones, who won slopestyle bronze in Sochi in 2014, and become Britain's second Olympic medal winner on snow.

The men's slopestyle event was completed earlier on Sunday with Red Gerard winning the United States' first gold of the Games.

Elsewhere, Briton Adam Rosen was 23rd in the men's luge and 20-year-old team-mate Rupert Staudinger finished in 32nd place.

Medal events on day two

• Teenage snowboarder Red Gerard won USA's first gold of the Games

• Simen Hegstad Kruger led a Norway 1-2-3 in the skiathlon

• Speed skater Sven Kramer set a new Olympic record to win the 5,000m

• David Gleirscher claimed Austria's first luge gold in 50 years after a mistake champion Felix Loch

• Teenager Perrine Laffont won the moguls and France's first medal in Pyeongchang

• Germany's Arnd Peifferrecorded a shock win in the men's 10km biathlon sprint

Other news lines on day two

• Comments made by Semen Elistratov are being investigated by Olympic officials after they appeared to break the rules about making political statements. Elistratov, competing for Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR), dedicated his speed skating medal to Russian athletes excluded from the Games.

• Officials now know the problem behind the cyber attack during the opening ceremony - but haven't revealed what it was.

• The spectator seating had to be rearranged on day one to allow North Korean cheerleaders to sit together.

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Photos of the day

Skater Choi Da-bin reacts with surprise as she produces the sixth best display in the team event. The South Korean performed to the tune of "Papa, Can You Hear Me?", in memory for a deceased father. Choi lost her mother to cancer last June. Choi said: "I am very thankful to my mother, who is watching me from heaven."

USA women's ice hockey team gather in a huddle around the goal before their match against Finland

The temperature in Pyeongchang once again dropped well below zero celsius on day two - this fan came well prepared

USA's Red Gerard, 17, really was out on his own as he won the men's slopestyle with a brilliant final run on Sunday