Moguls qualification underway with three Team GB debuts

Freestyle Skiing 03 Feb 22

Freestyle skiing sisters Makayla and Leonie Gerken-Schofield plus Norfolk’s Will Feneley all made their Olympic debuts as qualification for the moguls got underway in Beijing.

Younger sister Makayla, 22, narrowly missed out on booking her place in Sunday’s final at the first time of asking after finishing 12th, with the top ten progressing.

Elder sister Leonie, 23, did not finish after failing to land her first jump cleanly, but both Team GB stars will have another shot at making the women's final in Sunday’s second qualification run with another ten athletes making it through to the showpiece later that day.

Feneley, 22, finished 23rd after his run in the men’s competition and has already pinpointed where he needs to improve if he is to make the top ten on Saturday and progress to the final later that day.

He said: “I knew that this was the kind of run I was going to put down, a slightly slower one, a bit more controlled.

"I know I can get the run down, get a slowed run in on my first run in the Games and hopefully show some people back home what this is all about and what British people can do.

"When we come to a couple of days' time, we will try and push the speed a bit."

Makayla threw down a clean run at Genting Snow Park, scoring 70.18 points with an assured display and ranking particularly highly for her two jumps which were marked better than two rivals who did qualify for the final.

She ended 1.27 points behind Canada’s Justine Dufour-Lapointe who claimed tenth place, the last qualifying spot.

"I had fun, that's all I wanted to do. I put down a run top to bottom and I'm pretty happy about that,” said Makayla.

After making her Olympic bow, she said: “It's all really surreal, I'm struggling to really believe it. I've been treating it like a World Cup in my mind, so I'm not too overwhelmed by it all.

"I'm having so much fun and to be with my sister is just incredible.”

Leonie was disappointed not to complete her run but took great satisfaction from just making it to the startline in the Chinese capital after injury problems threatened to derail her Olympic dream before it had begun.

She explained: “Obviously, I'm disappointed. I did really good training, so it's disappointing to not put the run down when it counts.

"But just to be here is a massive achievement in itself with everything (injuries) I've been through.

“Two months ago, I fell on my shoulder again and did a Grade 2 (tear) of my AC joint and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to ski and make the Olympics. So, just to be out here is incredible.”