Japan's Kokomo Murase and Reira Iwabuchi progressed to the final of the women's snowboard slopestyle at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Saturday, but Miyabi Onitsuka was eliminated in qualifying.
Murase, the youngest member of the Japan delegation at age 17, landed the day's second-highest score of 81.45 points and Iwabuchi was 11th with 67.00, but Onitsuka, who put her hands down in both runs, was not among the top 12 riders who move on to Sunday's final.
The Japanese are all slopestyle World Cup winners and all three headed to Beijing as medal contenders. Murase is competing in her first Olympics, while Iwabuchi and Onitsuka are in their second.
"It was my first Olympics so I tried to have fun in both runs," Murase said.
"The winds made it tough, but I tried not to let that affect my run. I don't think the wind will be as strong tomorrow so I want to get into my rhythm and aim for the podium," she said.
Murase's first run consisted of three impressive aerial tricks including front and backside 720s, and with 74.95 she slotted into the provisional top spot in the rankings.
Her second run, featuring a backside 900, was even better, putting her behind just New Zealand rider Zoi Sadowski Synnott who was the top qualifier with a second-run score of 86.75.
Despite the shock elimination, Onitsuka, who finished 19th, will get another chance to shine in the women's big air event which starts Feb. 14.
She will need to put this heartbreak behind her, though.
"(My second run) didn't go so well. Yes, it was windy and the conditions weren't perfect, but I could have done better. I'm very disappointed," a teary-eyed Onitsuka said.
"I worked hard for four years but this means there are still some things I'm lacking," she said.
Murase, Iwabuchi and 10 others have advanced into the three-run final at Genting Snow Park, where the course features a snow replica of the Great Wall of China that protects the riders from the winds that whip across the course.
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