Andrew Musgrave battled to 17th place in the men’s 30km skiathlon in the opening event of his fourth Winter Olympics.
The 31-year-old admitted he could not live with the blistering pace of eventual gold medallist Alexander Bolshunov and Finland’s Iivo Niskanen, who held onto third spot to claim his country’s first medal of the Games.
The pair broke away from the field and led for the first four classic ski laps before Denis Spitsov passed Niskanen in the freestyle section to deliver a one-two for the Russian Olympic Committee, whose speed left Musgrave in awe.
“It was ridiculous. I wasn't feeling too bad but in the classic section, (Iivo) Niskanen and (Alexander) Bolshunov went so ridiculously fast that I had to push a bit too hard,” explained Musgrave, who came seventh in PyeongChang four years ago.
"The form Bolshunov is in at the moment is absolutely wild. We're going to have to do something miraculous to beat him.
"That's one of the most ridiculous races that's ever been done. You don't get gaps like that in our sport normally. Hats off to him - ridiculously impressive."
Musgrave fought hard but was unable to claw his way to the top of the field after pushing himself to the limit to keep up with the rapid pace set by the leaders.
He added: "In altitude like this and on such abrasive snow, if you push a bit too hard, you've got no chance to recover.
"I didn't feel too bad but it took me three laps to recover after going too fast in the classic section. I was so far behind."
It's 17th place for @musgraveandrew 🙌
— Team GB (@TeamGB) February 6, 2022
A brilliant effort!
#TeamGB | #Beijing2022 pic.twitter.com/iUKai0H2Hl
Musgrave’s attention will now shift to the 15km classic on Friday and then the 50km mass start free on 19 February, where he is hoping to put in a stellar showing.
But first he is set to enjoy some well-deserved rest after a demanding day at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Centre.
“It wasn't the ideal start today! But I felt pretty alright on the skate section so I think I'll be able to pull a good 50km out,” explained Musgrave.
“I'm going to need a few days to recover after this because it was absolutely solid."