In the men’s halfpipe event there was a Japanese one-two in qualifying with Yuto Totsuka, the 2021 world champion in the discipline in Aspen, topping the standings with 91.50 points.

His compatriot Ruka Hirano finished in second with 90.25 points, with the top three completed by Australia’s Valentino Guseli with 88 points.

A total of ten competitors have qualified for the final, with half of the field representing Japan.

In the women’s halfpipe Japan also finished top of the qualifying standings, with Ruki Tomita, who finished fifth in the discipline at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in first place with 90.00 points.

Cai Xuetong of China finished in second place with 88.25 points, with the top three completed by Canadian Elizabeth Hosking on 87.75 points.

Eight skiers have qualified for the final, although Beijing 2022 silver medallist Queralt Castellet was a notable name to miss out, with the Spanish skier finishing with 70.25 points, only enough for ninth place.

The skier to qualify in eighth place was Berenice Wicki of Switzerland, who finished on 71.25 points.   

The men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe World Cups are due to take place on Saturday (February 4), with the snowboard slopestyle World Cups for men and women scheduled to be held tomorrow.