By Krystal Hu
Beijing (Reuters) – Canada’s Megan Oldham topped qualifying in the first Olympic women’s freeski Big Air event on Monday, with France’s Tess Ledeux and China’s Eileen Gu among those advancing to the Beijing Games final.
Oldham, 20, earned the single highest score of 91.25 on her second run at the new Shougang venue, built on a former steel mill, and her two best scores put her top of the standings on 171.25.
Ledeux, who started her Olympic journey by performing a stunning left double 1260, qualified second on 171.00 after two strong opening runs. She crashed on her third run due to the windy conditions.
The 20-year-old said she was saving her more gravity-defying tricks for the finals on Tuesday.
Home favourite Gu lost one of her skies on landing during her second run but the 18-year-old’s smooth 900 spinning on her last run saw her finish fifth on 161.25.
Another young Chinese skier Yang Shuorui did not earn a high enough score to make the final after injuring herself in a training session earlier.
Canadian medal hopeful Elena Gaskell pulled out from Monday’s qualifying due to injuries, the Canadian Olympic Committee said.
Russian Anastasia Tatalina (163.25) and Swiss Mathilde Gremaud (159.25) were among the 12 skiers making it through to Tuesday’s final.
(Reporting by Krystal Hu; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
