The 20-year-old from Wānaka heads into the final as the one to beat, after dropping a combined score of 176.50 to finish top of the 30 athletes in today’s qualifiers.
Sadowski-Synnott opened her runs with a backside 1080 with a weddle grab, scoring 85.50. She backed that up with a frontside 720 with a melon grab, before stomping a huge frontside double cork 1080 with a melon grab to score 91.00, the highest trick score of the day.
“I’m just stoked to land my runs and get through to finals to ride another day,” said Sadowski-Synnott.
“I’d done the 1080 in practice and it was feeling good. I really wanted to land that one and I’m stoked that I did, it’s put me in a good spot going into finals.”
Sadowski-Synnott says she’s looking forward to her second final at this Winter Olympic Games, and hopes to give New Zealand something to cheer about.
“I’ve got a trick I’ve been working on and I hope to put it down tomorrow and just snowboard at my best and see where that gets me.”
The women’s snowboard big air final will begin at 0930 local time (1430 NZT) tomorrow.