PyeongChang -- Less than 24 hours after the Opening Ceremony wrapped up in PyeongChang, the first member of Team Idaho competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics, on Saturday morning.
McCall-born cross-country skier Caitlin Patterson made her Olympic debut, racing in the women's 15-kilometer skiathlon.
Patterson finished 34th in a field that featured 61 athletes. 28-year-old was the second-fastest American in the event.
Patterson was born in McCall but moved to Alaska at a young age. She now calls Vermont home.
The skiathlon is considered a brutal event, one that specifically tests your endurance. The first 7.5km requires racers to use a classical technique, then finish the final 7.5km by going freestyle.
Fellow Team USA racer Jessica Diggins took fifth in the event on Saturday, the highest finish by an American female in the history of the Olympics.
