Live: Australia’s Scott, Willcox through to aerials final, Hickman up later in slopestyle final

The standings have been confirmed after run one of the women’s slalom, and Australia’s Madison Hoffman is 26th after a solid ski of 49.88 seconds.

Hoffman is at her first Winter Olympics after recovering from two knee reconstructions, so although there is room for improvement, she would have to be happy with that run.

Australia’s other entrant, Phoebe Heaydon, lost control early in her run and skied out, which means she won’t have a second run.

The top three is led by skiing great Mikaela Schiffrin — the four-time Olympian and two-time gold medallist set a time of 47.13 seconds. She leads the rest of the field by 0.82 seconds.

• Mikaela Schiffrin (USA) 47.13

• Cornelia Oehlund (SWE) 48.13 

Back at Tesoro, we’ve had qualification for the men’s team sprint qualification.

And it’s good news for Australia!

Two-time Olympian Lars Young Vik, who came 51st in the men’s sprint classic, was up today along with Hugo Hinkfuss (who was 42nd in the men’s sprint classic).

The pair finished in 5 minutes 53.68 seconds.

Vik stopped the clock in 2:55.64, while Hinkfuss finished in 2:58.04.

Their time was good enough for ninth place, with the top 15 advancing to the final.

The United States was the top qualifier in a total time of 5:45.72.

You’re not wrong, Phillip!

I’ve never been a great follower of the laws of physics, but if you do aerials either you or your coaches — or both! — would have to be extremely well-acquainted with them and how to adjust for snow coverage, wind speed, etc.

Good luck to them all!

We have finished qual 2 in the women’s aerials and it’s very good news for Australia, with debutant Abbey Willcox joining Danielle Scott in the final later on!

Willcox started Q2 in eighth position, with the top 12 going through.

Her second run of 66.78 was not enough to improve, so the Aussie had to play the waiting game.

In the end, she only slipped to ninth position.

The big improver was China’s Chen Meiting, who nailed her back-lay-full-full jump to score a 100.29, the highest of all qualifications.

Q2 Qualifiers:

• Chen Meiting (CHN) 100.29

• Hanna Huskova (AIN) 88.29

• Abbey Willcox (AUS) 88.12

• Winter Vinecki (USA) 87.57

• Tasia Tanner (USA) 80.01  

Back at qual 2 in the women’s aerials, late replacement Sidney Stephens has had her second run.

Stephens scored 75.11 in the first run. She did a back-lay-tuck in the second run, a jump with a lower degree of difficulty.

However, the debutant did her run and hit her landing, earning 2.9s and 2.8s out of 3 for her landing from the judges.

You could hear her coach yelling out “Stretch!” and Stephens responded.

The score was 73.84, so Stephens will not advance to the final, but what a great first campaign for the 23-year-old.

We are two-thirds of the way through the first run in the women’s slalom at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre.

American Mikaela Schiffrin is leading the way with a time of 47.13.

Australian debutant Madison Hoffman has completed her first run, finishing in 49.88 seconds.

Unfortunately, fellow first-time Olympian Phoebe Heaydon could not complete the course and did not finish.

She will not go in the second run starting at 11:30pm AEDT.

Australia’s Airleigh Frigo is up. She missed with her first jump, and she’s going for a double-full-full, a triple twisting somersault.

Here she comes, she gets some decent air — can she land it?

No!! She lands, pitches forward, and plants and rolls into the snow.

She looks OK, thank goodness. She gets 60.27, but that’s not going to go through.

Australia’s Abbey Willcox is up for her second run.

She sitting at eighth right now, so there’s not much margin for error.

She goes a back-full-full, a less complex run than her first go.

Here she goes … she nearly lands it but puts a hand down.

That’s not likely to beat her first score. It’s a 66.78, she stays eighth (for now).

The three remaining Australians — Abbey Willcox, Airleigh Frigo and Sidney Stephens — are up for the second qualification phase.

There is just one jump for everyone, and whoever finishes in the top 12 (including those already through) will take part in the final at 11pm AEDT. 

The women’s aerials first qualification is complete at Livigno, and Australia’s Danielle Scott is through to the final!

The four-time Olympian didn’t completely nail her back-full-full-full, but her score of 99.59 was good enough for second place behind Canada’s Marion Thenault.

The top six go through automatically, the rest will go in qual 2.

• Marion Thenault (CAN) 108.61

• Danielle Scott (AUS) 99.59

Other Australians

• Abbey Willcox 88.12 (8th)

• Sidney Stephens 75.11 (14th)

• Airleigh Frigo 55.75 (20th)  

The Women’s Team Sprint has been completed at Tesoro, and Australia has finished 18th.

Rosie Fordham completed the course in 3 minutes 34.84, while Phoebe Cridland finished in 3:43.71, the Aussies finishing in a total time of 7:18.56.

Sweden topped the standings with a total time of 6:29.94.

The top 15 went through to the final, taking place later tonight.

Cody,

As we said, Sidney Stephens was called up as a late replacement to the Australian aerials group after Laura Peel’s knee injury left her ruled out of the Games.

The timing and decision of the team involved is key.

For example, when snowboarder Misaki Vaughan was ruled out of the Games when she was concussed in a halfpipe training incident, the Australian team chose not to seek a late replacement.

However, when Cam Bolton fractured his neck in a snowboard training incident, he was replaced in the snowboard cross by James Johnstone.

American Kaila Kuhn, the defending world champion is up next.

She is going for full difficulty as well with a back-full-full-full.

And it’s like deja vu! She can’t quite land it — she sort of leans back to be almost horizontal, but it’s not a fall.

And again, the difficulty makes the difference. She gets 89.29 as well, level with Xu Mengtao for equal third. 

Here comes the defending champion, China’s Xu Mengtao.

She’s going for a back-full-full-full, and she gets huge air…

But she misses the landing too!

It’s a backslap, where she hits the snow with her back.

It’s a high-difficulty run, and she gets 89.29. Third!

The fourth Aussie in the aerials is Sidney Stephens, who only got a call up the other day after Laura Peel was ruled out.

Stephens goes for a back-lay-full, a less complex run than others.

But she gets good height and the landing is good!

She looks very happy, as well she might.

Stephens scores 75.11 to sit in seventh spot. She’ll be in qual 2, but that is a great start for the 23-year-old.

Despite the clear conditions, some of the skiers are struggling with their landings.

The latest to sit down is American Winter Vinecki. Her back-full-full-full is by no means perfect, but she scores 87.57 to sit fifth behind Australia’s Abbey Willcox.

Australia’s third skier up this evening is Airleigh Frigo.

She is another debutant, but has a podium finish in the World Cup last year to her credit.

Here she goes for a back-full-full, a double twisting somersault.

She’s looking good but she can’t land it!

She gets 55.75, and she will have to go through qual 2 if she wants a spot in the final. 

This is moving quickly in the first round, and it’s time for Australia’s second competitor, Abbey Willcox.

She’s doing a back full-double full.

Here she goes, and it’s good in the air, and she lands it clean!

Willcox scores 88.12! She goes third behind Scott and Thenault.

A great first run on debut.

Looking at the third competitor, it’s time for Australia’s Danielle Scott.

She goes for a back full-full-full like Thenault.

She looks great off the ramp, gets great height.

But she sits down a bit on landing. That could have been huge!

She gets 99.59. That’s second. Will it be enough?