Maggie Voisin qualified for her second Olympics on Saturday. This time, she hopes to compete at the Winter Games.
The 19-year-old finished second overall at the third of five U.S. ski slopestyle qualifiers in Colorado.
Add that to a victory in the first qualifier, and Voisin became the first American to clinch a spot in PyeongChang in her event.
Norway’s Johanne Killi won Saturday, just as she did at the second U.S. Olympic qualifier last month.
Devin Logan, the Sochi silver medalist, finished sixth and ranks second behind Voisin in qualifying standings, likely to make the team named after the final qualifier next week.
The team will be three or four women total.
Olympic snowboarding and freeskiing qualifying continues in Colorado through Sunday. A full broadcast schedule is here.
In 2014, Voisin was due to become the youngest U.S. athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics since 1972, two months after turning 15.
But she fractured her right fibula in practice on the day of the Opening Ceremony.
She watched the first Olympic women’s ski slopestyle event from the bottom of the course, with crutches and her Sochi 2014 bib tied around her waist.
The women who finished directly behind her at the X Games three weeks earlier made up the medal podium. Voisin later framed her bib.
Her first contest back was in December 2014. Voisin tore her left ACL and meniscus. Another 13 months out of competition.
Voisin returned for the 2015-16 season. Fourth at X Games. Second at a World Cup at the PyeongChang Olympic venue.
Last season, she won the first U.S. Olympic qualifier.
With X Games champ Kelly Sildaru of Estonia out of the Olympics with a left knee injury, the gold medal is up for grabs.
“I’m going into PyeongChang with that much more motivation,” Voisin said last fall. “I remember sitting in that hospital [in Russia], thinking, I’m going to do whatever it takes to get back to the Olympics.”
U.S. Olympic Qualifying Standings
Ski Slopestyle (women through three of five events; men through two of five)
1. Maggie Voisin — 180** QUALIFIED
2. Devin Logan — 90 (4th and 6th)
3. Darian Stevens — 81 (5th and 7th)
4. Taylor Lundquist — 52 (7th and 15th)
5. Julia Krass — 40 (12th and 14th)
1. Nick Goepper — 93* (1st and 18th)
2. McRae Williams — 72 (4th and 12th)
3. Alex Hall — 50 (5th and 26th)
4. Gus Kenworthy — 40 (6th and 47th)
5. Quinn Wolferman — 35 (9th and 25th)
**Has automatic qualifying minimum of two top-three results.
*Has one top-three result.
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