Heartache for Young as skier forced to withdraw from sprint classic
British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw midway through the men's team sprint classic on Wednesday after a pre-existing heart condition flared up.
Young suffers from tachycardia, a condition which causes sporadic episodes of racing heartbeat and palpitations.
Young was taking part in the first semi-final along with team-mate Andrew Musgrave at the Laura Cross Country Centre, but the pair did not finish the race.
Blow: British cross-country skier Andrew Young was forced to withdraw from theteam sprint classic
Out: A pre-existing heart problem prevented the skier from taking any further part on Wednesday
The 22-year-old, who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 15, sought to play down its seriousness, saying: 'It happens two races a year. Every now and then it happens and you have to stop.
'I don't really like using it as an excuse. It's not an excuse, it happens. It was just at the start of my second leg and when it happens the advice is just to stop.'
The issue also flared up at the Norwegian National Championships last month, and in the same competition in 2013.
The withdrawal brought a disappointing end to a relatively encouraging Winter Olympics for the Great Britain cross country team, with Andrew Musgrave becoming the first Briton to reach the quarter-finals of the men's sprint.
Young said: 'We have improved a lot. If we got these results four years ago everybody would have been ecstatic. But now everybody is like "it's OK". There has been a huge improvement in the team.
'Every four years the results are getting so much better that just to think four years ago this was unthinkable - to have someone in the top 30 and top 40 in a race.
'You wouldn't have even imagined that was possible and we're doing that and everyone is like "it's OK". Hopefully in four years it will be positive again.'
Continued: Young (left) revealed he has to stop races around twice a year because of his palpitations
Musgrave, who had expressed bitter disappointment at his performance in the sprint despite his history-making achievement, shrugged off his team-mate's withdrawal.
Musgrave said: 'I think he (Andrew) is probably a little bit disappointed but at the same time there's nothing he can do about it.
'He has had it before though and he knows what it is and we just had to stop.
'We had a chance of qualifying for the final if we had had a good day. We definitely had the skis for it and Andrew has been skiing dead good in classic and I'm feeling much better today.
'So I feel we would have had a chance but when something like that happens there's nothing you can do about it.'