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Mischa Thomas has qualified for the women’s Freeski Halfpipe final, putting down two clean runs to secure her spot.
With light snow falling, competitors needed to work with the conditions while still pushing hard enough to earn a place in the top-12, with two runs to get the job done.
Starting strong with a left cork 900, Thomas showcased her unique style and trick variety as she made her way down the pipe. The judges rewarded her with a score of 77, placing her eighth at the end of run one. Knowing she could tidy things up by adding the grab on her opening trick, she headed back to the top with room to improve.
With experienced athletes such as Eileen Gu (CHN), the Beijing Olympic gold medallist, losing a ski on her first run, and former World Champion Kelly Sildaru (EST) looking to build on a conservative opener, a top-12 place was far from secure at this stage of qualifying.
The pace picked up on the second run as Gu landed her run to move safely inside the top 12 and several others increased their difficulty to climb the leaderboard. By the time Thomas dropped in for her second attempt, she was sitting in 10thplace.
Putting down a clean, composed second run and tidying up the execution, she lifted her score to 77.50 and booked her ticket to the final round.
Describing her runs as “loose but lit”, Thomas continued, “I’ve got a bit to clean up in finals. I’m happy I could show my spin on things.
“I’m super, super happy, really proud of myself. I’m just really grateful for everyone who helped me get here and grateful for the team around me.
“Zoi and everyone who has competed this week has been such an inspiration to me, just how they carry New Zealand on their chest. It’s such a proud feeling as a friend and teammate. They’re amazing.”