Canada's Laurie Blouin qualifies for slopestyle final with 7th-place finish
25-year-old won silver in event at Pyeongchang 2018
It was not the top spot, but Canada's Laurie Blouin did what she needed in the qualifying runs of the Beijing 2022 Olympic women's slopestyle competition.
After winning a silver medal at Pyeongchang 2018, Blouin's eyes are on gold in China, and her qualification runs give her a shot at doing precisely that, punching her ticket for the final with a seventh-place finish on Saturday.
Thirty snowboarders competed in two qualifying runs in Zhangjiakou, where the temperature hovered around minus-20 C, with their best score counting toward their final standings.
The top 12 advanced to Sunday's final, which can be seen at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app.
WATCH | Laurie Blouin qualifies for Olympic slopestyle final:
With a World Cup win in the "Snow Rodeo" in Calgary this season, the 25-year-old Blouin entered the Olympics in good form and good spirits. On a challenging course with artificial snow, she posted her best score in the second run with 71.55, improving on an opening run score of 66.85.
Blouin's top score slotted her into sixth place from the qualifying round, ensuring she starts in the middle of the pack in the final.
While the Stoneham, Que., native, prepares to ride for the podium, her Canadian teammates see their slopestyle medal hopes dashed after the qualifying runs.
New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott topped the qualifying runs with a second run score of 86.75, while Japan's Kokomo Murase slotted in behind her in second spot. 2018 Olympic champion American Jamie Anderson finished fifth, with teammate Julia Marino in sixth.
"I was pretty stoked on that one, to put it down all the tricks together," said Sadowski-Synnott who is among the favourites for gold. "I have got a bit more in the tank for tomorrow."
With files from The Associated Press
