Updated February 11, 2018 12:08:37

It was a low-key opening for the Australian contingent on the opening day of competition at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, with only a handful of athletes in competition.

The first medals of the 2018 Winter Olympics were up for grabs in the women's skiathlon — a 15-kilometre skiing haul that combines endurance with power.

The two Aussies in action, Barbara Jezersek (39th) and Jess Yeaton (50th), were both pleased to finish in the top 50 but were a long way away from the medals.

Jezersek was competing for Australia for the first time, having competed for Slovenia in Sochi and Vancouver, and still has the 10km and 15km free ski events to come, while Yeaton said her result was "better than expected".

In the men's speed skating, there was chaos and controversy in Andy Jung's first heat.

He was involved in a collision that saw two competitors get wiped out of the race, before finishing fourth of the remaining skaters.

Normally, only the top three progress to the semi-finals, but after judges ruled the Italian skater was at fault for the incident, Jung was awarded a spot in the semis along with the rest of the field.

That was as far as Jung would go though, with a fifth-place finish in the first semi-final not enough to earn him a spot in either the A or B final.

Alex Ferlazzo finished his second run in the men's luge 22nd, and will look to improve in run three tonight.

Topics: winter-olympics, sport, korea-republic-of

First posted February 10, 2018 22:31:51