Photo: Australian Olympic team
Day four of the Beijing Winter Olympics saw a number of Aussies involved in their respective sports, in what was a contrast to day three where just the one Australian athlete competed.
Australians were competing in three different sports today while there were more athletes taking part in various training heats throughout the day.
Figure Skating – Men’s Short Program
Australia’s flagbearer from the opening ceremony, Brendan Kerry was in action today. The 27-year-old from Sydney qualified for the final of the event with a score of 84.79 from his run.
That score put him in 17th position, with the top 24 qualifying for the final which is set to take place on Thursday. As it stands he is unlikely to medal, but to be able to qualify for the final is an achievement in its self.
This is Kerry’s third appearance at the Winter Olympics, a feat that was in doubt for quite some time with the amount of injuries he has faced throughout his career. As a result of this, he had considered retiring before these Winter Olympics with it seeming unlikely that he would recover in time for Beijing 2022, making his performance in the first round all the more sweeter.
Brendan Kerry’s final is on Thursday morning where he has the free program, a routine that is over four minutes in length.
Cross-Country Skiing – Women’s Sprint Free
There were another two Aussies in action for the women’s sprint freestyle qualification on day four. Jessica Yeaton and Casey Wright took part for Australia. Unfortunately, neither Aussie qualified for the final with Yeaton finishing the best of the pair in 52nd, and only the top 30 qualifying for the final that took place shortly afterwards.
This is the second appearance at the Winter Olympics for the cross-country duo, with Yeaton and Wright both competing at PyeongChang as well. All is not over for the cross country team, with the squad making a return on day six for the 10km classic.
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Cross-Country Skiing – Men’s Sprint Free
The last event for the day with an Australian contingent, the men’s competition saw four Australians take part in the qualification on day four. Yet again, no Australian athlete was able to qualify for the final with Phil Bellingham the best-placed Aussie, finishing in 50th.
This is third appearance at the Winter Olympic Games for the 30-year-old. The next-best finisher from Australia was Lars Young Vik, finishing in 55th. This is the 21-year-old’s maiden Winter Olympic Games.
Behind Vik was Hugo Hinckfuss, who finished the race in 61st position. At just 18-years-old, Hinckfuss is the youngest Australian in the cross-country team and will be an exciting prospect beyond Beijing.
The last of the Australians on day four was Seve de Campo, who finished just behind Hinckfuss in 63rd. His main focus this Winter Olympics is the 15km classic, an event where he will be hoping for a higher finish.
Check out The Inner Sanctum’s day four medal recap here.
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