Japanese snowboarders Yuka Fujimori and Reira Iwabuchi placed second and third, respectively, in the women's big air qualifying round Monday to earn their places in the final at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Reigning world big air champion Anna Gasser of Austria, who is looking for redemption after missing out on a slopestyle medal as one of the favorites, topped the 26-person field at Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre with a near-perfect 98.00-point second jump.
Fujimori was awarded 94.25 points and Iwabuchi 92.75 points for their second runs but they were no match for Gasser, who was the only rider to land a cab double cork 1080 in the event which is making is its Olympic debut in Pyeongchang.
"Everybody was riding so well and it inspired me to show a more difficult trick, too, but it's also the seeding in the finals," Gasser, 26, said. "I go last now so I can kind of watch what my competition is doing."
"I messed up a little on my first run but I'm glad I got a clean landing on my second," said the 31-year-old Fujimori, who competed in snowboard cross at the Winter Games in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
"Reira's run was so clean and that made me want to land a good spin. I want to show everyone a good performance (in the final)."
Fujimori, who placed ninth in last week's slopestyle final, is making her fourth Olympic appearance and looking to win the country's first snowboarding gold.
Sixteen-year-old Iwabuchi said, "I overcame pressure in my second run. I want to do even better in the final and aim for gold."
Also for Japan, Miyabi Onitsuka finished seventh to secure a spot in the 12-woman final, but Asami Hirono finished 24th.
The qualification round consists of two runs, with the best single run score counting.
American Jamie Anderson and Laurie Blouin of Canada, winners of the slopestyle gold and silver, advanced with the sixth and fourth best qualifying scores, respectively.
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