LIVIGNO, Italy -- Anna Gasser set herself up for a chance at her third straight Olympic snowboarding gold medal in big air but will have to overcome another gold medalist, defending slopestyle champion Zoi Sadowski-Synnott.

Sadowski-Synnott, the New Zealander who finished second to Gasser in big air in 2022, won Sunday night's big air qualifier with 172.25 points from her best two jumps.

Kokomo Murase, the 2022 bronze medalist, was second with 171.25 and led a contingent of four Japanese riders to reach Monday's final of 12.

The 34-year-old Gasser probably cut it a little more close than she would have liked in qualifying. The two-time champion only managed to place ninth among the field of 29 with a score of 159.50.

But it was good enough for her to keep her dream of an Olympic treble alive.

The Austrian has long long been known as one of the biggest jumpers in snowboarding and has won both big air contests since the event was put into the Olympics in 2018.

When snowboard racer Ester Ledecka was eliminated in the parallel giant slalom races earlier Sunday at the Livigno Snow Park, it gave Gasser a chance at history: No snowboarder has won three straight gold medals in the same event over the sport's 28-year history at the Games.

Waiting in the wings is Chloe Kim, who has a chance for her own three-peat later in the week.

The qualifying box ticked, Sadowski-Synnott said that she can now let it flow in the finals.

"I hope that the pressure's kind of off my shoulders and I can finally enjoy being here and, and prepare for the finals," she said.

Mia Brookes of Britain was third.

All three American riders were eliminated.

Big air consists of one single jump off a huge ramp, where the rider varies spins, flips and holds of the board. The Livigno ramp peaks at over 40 meters (yards), sending the riders soaring down the slope that was lit by floodlights for the nighttime event.

Riders jump three times in qualifying. Their top two jumps are combined for a final score while the worst jump is dropped. The top 12 riders of the field of 29 advanced to Monday's final.

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