Jakara Anthony nails perfect start for Australia as best qualifier for moguls finals at Beijing Winter Olympic Games

Jakara Anthony has laid down a marker at a frigid Genting Snow Park to qualify in first position for Sunday's women's moguls finals.

Anthony continued the fine form that she has showed all season by nailing her run, slicing through the mogul field with ease and dazzling through the air with her trademark poise and skill to record a score of 83.75.

Her key rival, French reigning Olympic champion Perrine Laffont qualified second with 81.11, with American pair Jaelin Kauf (79.15) and Olivia Giaccio (78.11) close behind.

«I'm really proud and happy with what I was able to achieve just then,» Anthony said after completing her run.

«I've transferred really well from training to competition.

»But there's definitely still bits I want to keep working on and improving, which is a really great position to be in, I think. You don't want to be going into finals day maxed out.

«I'm really happy with where I'm at.»

In finishing in the top 10, Anthony progresses to Sunday's Final 1. The remaining athletes have another chance to qualify to make a final field of 20.

Anthony was simply a cut above the rest of the field under the lights at the spectacularly lit Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou.

Cruising down the spectacular, vertiginous slope through a light dusting of snow swirling, Anthony's turns were tighter and jumps cleaner than anyone else as she flew to the top of the leaderboard.

Sadly, there were few there to see it live. COVID measures have reduced the crowd numbers, although with temperatures approaching -20 degrees Celsius, few could blame others for staying inside.

Anthony said it was a «real shame» there couldn't be a full crowd, but added that she had not felt safer since being in Australia in November, praising the organising