The reigning Olympic champion placed fourth and final in his race after being among the leaders in the half-track. But a technical error in a corner kick put him in last place and was never able to catch the Swiss Alex Viva and the athlete in the Republic of China Sergey Redzek.
His compatriots Reese Hoodin, Kevin Drury and Jared Schmidt were eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Swiss Ryan Riggs won the Olympic title in cross-country skiing.
Photo: Getty Images / Matthias Hangst
The Swiss Rigis and Alex Viva won the gold and silver medals. Republic of China player, Sergey Redzek, took the third step on the podium. Lehmann finished sixth overall with a second place finish in the junior final.
Houdin and Lehmann met in the quarter-finals. Lehmann almost did not finish the race, as he was the victim of a stampede by Swiss Jose Perry. However, he beat fellow countryman Howden at the finish line to qualify. The race is outlined at the end of the picture.
Rhys Hooden easily won his first race.
Photo: Getty Images/Cameron Spencer
Kevin Drury was also beaten up when the photo was finished. He was second in large part of the race, but Austrian Johannes Rorwick hit him with his arm.
Jared Schmidt had a good race, but he couldn’t do better than third either.
Only the best two advance to the next round.
The French team, which rained and shined at the Sochi Games in 2014, and won three medals, did not put any skater in the final. His best competitor, François Bliss, finished the competition in eighth place.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.