Great Britain biathlete Lee Jackson has praised his "encouraging" performance in the men's 20km pursuit earlier today, despite the course being "so hard and demanding".
The 20-year-old, making his second Olympic appearance, placed 42nd in the event today, an improvement on his 66th-placed finish from the Vancouver Games four years ago.
"I had one miss on the range and that's pretty perfect for me, hitting that would have guaranteed top 30 and I don't feel in that sort of shape," Jackson told reporters after the event. "The course is so hard and demanding, it's difficult to feel in shape.
"The hills are so tough and so long and you climb from the very start of the race. They've also salted the course which makes it much slower. Considering all these factors, I'm extremely happy with my performance, especially my shooting.
"I'm closer to the podium places than I was four years ago, so that's really encouraging. I'm in better shape, I was better mentally prepared and my percentages behind the top guys are much better."
The men's 20km pursuit was won by France's Martin Fourcade.
Giuseppe Labellarte
