LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 11 (Reuters) – Beijing 2022 silver medallist Jaelin Kauf dodged through the second round of qualifiers on Wednesday to reach the finals at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games in the town of Livigno.
Known for being the “queen of speed” in the discipline, the skier did not hold back on the run, zipping through the bumps of snow in a tidy and balanced way, and performed a backflip with a grab on the bottom jump.
She landed a second position, with a score of 77.18, just under Australia’s Charlotte Wilson with 77.79.
In the first round on Tuesday- where only the top 10 freestylers qualified out of 30 contestants – Kauf was the fastest but came unbalanced after the first jump and landed a 24th place.
The remaining 20 competitors battle it out in a second qualifying round where 10 more advance.
“It was a bit unexpected yesterday and it didn’t necessarily leave me great about the day … but … I know I am a strong competitor,” Kauf said, adding she would “build intensity and energy” for the finals.
The women’s mogul finals will be disputed later on Wednesday. The men’s second round of qualifiers and finals will be held on Thursday.
Judging is based on turn techniques, speed, tricks during jumps and lines carved in the snow.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti in Livigno; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
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