Auckland freeskier Mischa Thomas has qualified for the final of the halfpipe at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
The 17-year-old landed a score of 77.00 in her first run and followed that with a slightly improved 77.50 in her second this morning (NZ time).
With the best score from the two runs counting, Thomas qualified 10th.
"It was a run I was pretty comfortable doing, I've done quite a few times," she told Sky Sport.
"The pipe was still fast and it is kind of scary to see what it is going to be like when it's not snowing.
"It was a little bumpy so just had to manage that, but you get given what you're given and you just have to deal with it."
Zoe Atkin, of Britain, topped the qualifying with a best score of 91.50, while defending champion Eileen Gu from China qualified fifth with a score of 86.50.
The competition was paused for 15 minutes when Canadian Cassie Sharpe, who won halfpipe gold in 2018 and silver in 2022, fell and appeared to knock her head. She received medical attention but still qualified third.
The final is on Sunday morning (NZ time).
Men's freeski halfpipe delayed
Heavy snow again forced organisers to change the schedule with qualifying for the men's freeski halfpipe pushed back a day.
It meant Luke Harold from Lake Hāwea and Wānaka's Fin Melville Ives, Gustav Legnavsky and Ben Harrington will start their qualifying on Friday night with the final scheduled for Saturday morning from 7.30am.
