CHONGLI, China, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Liu Mengting advanced to the women's freeski big air final at the 2025-26 FIS Freeski World Cup here on Friday, placing fourth in qualifying.

Britain's Kirsty Muir topped qualifying with 90.25 points, ahead of Australia's Daisy Thomas (88.75) and Finland's Anni Karava (88.00).

Liu opened with a left double cork 1260 safety for 86.75 points despite a slightly imperfect landing. On her second run she again set up for a 1260 but adjusted midair to a 1080 to ensure the landing, a tactical switch that did not improve her score but secured progression.

"This is the first time I've attempted a 1260 spin in a qualification round. Previously, I usually performed a 1080 spin. Today, executing it well gives me more confidence for future competitions and prepares me for more challenging tricks," Liu said after the competition.

Among the other Chinese riders, Xiong Wenhui and Yang Ruyi landed 1080s but struggled with grabs and overall flow. Xiao Siyu put down two 900s, lower in difficulty relative to the field, while Han Linshan made major errors on both attempts.

The men's qualifying featured 56 athletes split into two groups, with the top five from each advancing. France's Matias Roche led Group 1 with 96.25 points, while Norway's Tormod Frostad headed Group 2 with 93.25. China's Huang Congsen finished 21st in Group 2 and 18-year-old Lin Hao was 26th overall, both missing the cut. ■