LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Japan’s Ikuma Horishima led the way in freestyle moguls qualifying at the Winter Olympics on Tuesday, in the first event to be held in the smaller venue of the Alpine town of Livigno.
Defending champion Walter Wallberg of Sweden and Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury, three-times an Olympic medallist and the most decorated mogul skier in history, also made it through to the final, in sixth and third places respectively.
Under low clouds in the narrow valley, the skiers juggled technique, speed and jumps in an event that requires versatility as they navigate large, closely spaced mounds of snow – known as moguls – with two jumps, in a short run that requires fine manoeuvring.
Horishima, bronze medallist in Beijing four years ago, claimed top spot in the qualifiers with a six-point lead, betting on the difficulty of his moves rather than neatness and scoring well on his jumps.
Just below him were Canadian teammates Julien Viel, a top medal contender who came second with clean, tight bumps, and Kingsbury, who paced himself and played it safe to make the cut.
“The goal was to go through to the next round. Not my best skiing, but I’m in a good position. I can improve on all my jumps and my time. So there’s a lot to build on,” Kingsbury said.
Sweden’s Wallberg completed a tight run with a stylish bottom jump that showcased all his experience and skill.
Australia’s Matt Graham, also among the favourites, just made the cut, qualifying in 10th position.
South Korean Lee Yoon-seug fell in the first part of the moguls, the only crash of the day, and failed to qualify. The 20 skiers who did not make it through will compete in a second qualifier, with 10 advancing to Thursday’s final.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti in Livigno, editing by Ed Osmond)
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