Cassie Sharpe leads the pack in ladies' halfpipe qualifications
Aug 31, 2018·Freeski Park & Pipe
PyoengChang (KOR) - Canadian freeskier Cassie Sharpe (CAN) wants rap music to power her to Canada's first Olympic medal in women's halfpipe at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
The 25-year-old qualified in style with a top score of 93.40 for her second run at Phoenix Snow Park on Monday while singing Ante Up by US rap duo M.O.P.
"I'm rapping," Sharpe said. "I'm singing a song, just amping myself up. Every run, same song. Riles me up."
As the top qualifier, Sharpe hopes she has set herself up for a potential victory lap because she will have the last run in the halfpipe in Tuesday's final.
"I was like, 'OK, I want to qualify first because I want to drop last in the final'," she said.
"Because if you do well through that, you can drop last, and it's your victory lap. It's the best feeling in the world. So if I can get another one of those, I mean, I'm so excited."
Sochi 2014 silver medallist Marie Martinod (FRA) qualified in second place with a best-run score of 92.00.
The 33-year-old, who won the 2017 X Games halfpipe competition, said she felt great being able to land two runs during Monday's qualification.
"It's the dream - the Olympic Games and there's a lot of pressure, but when you are able to ski cleanly and the way you want, what more could you ask for?" Martinod said.
She said she wanted to focus on doing what she loved rather than what her rivals were doing or on the pressure to win another Olympic medal.
"It doesn't really influence me, I don't think about the others. I do my run and I do what I know how to do, and afterwards I wait for the result," Martinod said.
World champion Ayana Onozuka (JPN) and defending Olympic champion Maddie Bowman (USA) have also progressed to Tuesday's final, qualifying in fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Joining Bowman in the final are her US teammates Brita Sigourney and Annalisa Drew, who could deliver a US medal sweep after both qualified in the top five on Monday.
Bowman won the women's halfpipe at the 2018 X Games, with Sigourney finishing second, while Drew was top 10.
The women's ski halfpipe final begins at 10:30 at Phoenix Snow Park on Tuesday 20 February.
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