LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Scotty James, the Australian snowboarder bidding to finally win gold in his fifth Olympics, nailed his first halfpipe run in qualifying on Wednesday to lead the field heading into the finals.
The 31-year-old James showcased soaring spins and smooth landings to earn a score of 94 in the first round of the night-time session in the Alpine town of Livigno.
James claimed halfpipe silver four years ago in Beijing and bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.
"I wouldn't be honest if I said I wouldn’t like to achieve the top spot," James said. "I'll set myself up as best I can, get some rest tomorrow and get ready for Friday," the day of the finals.
Defending champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan also advanced to the medal round along with three of his teammates.
Jan Scherrer of Switzerland, who took bronze in 2022, withdrew at the last minute.
In a video posted late Friday on Instagram, Scherrer said he slammed his head during a crash in practice just before the qualifiers started. He felt dizzy and his balance was off and his doctor would not clear him to ride, he added.
Gold for James would make him Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian, eclipsing freestyle skier Dale Begg-Smith and women's snowboarder Torah Bright, who have each won gold and silver.
In the halfpipe, riders slideacross a 22-foot-tall, U-shaped ramp and perform acrobatic manoeuvres in the air. Judges award points based on amplitude, variety, difficulty and other factors, with a maximum score of 100.
The qualifying event in Livigno was held in the evening with floodlights illuminating the course.
The closest rivals to James were two Japanese riders, Yuto Totsuka, who scored 91.25 and Ryusei Yamada on 90.25.
"I think the difficulty level will keep increasing," Yamada said. "I want to raise the difficulty even more in the final."
Also among the 12 qualifiers was 17-year-old American Alessandro Barbieri, who finished fourth.
"(This event is) one of the craziest I've been a part of," he said. "People are bringing their A-game."
Earlier on Wednesday, American Chloe Kim led the riders who advanced to the women's halfpipe final on Thursday.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Ken Ferris and Ed Osmond)
