LIVIGNO, Italy – Australian snowboarder Scotty James, aiming for his first Olympic gold in his fifth Games, delivered a stunning performance in the halfpipe qualifying round on Wednesday, taking the top spot heading into the finals.

The 31-year-old impressed with soaring spins and smooth landings, earning a score of 94 during the night-time session in the Alpine town of Livigno.

James, who won silver in Beijing 2022 and bronze in Pyeongchang 2018, said, "I wouldn't be honest if I said I wouldn’t like to achieve the top spot. I'll set myself up as best I can, get some rest tomorrow, and get ready for Friday," referring to the day of the finals.

Defending champion Ayumu Hirano of Japan also advanced to the medal round, along with three of his teammates.

Swiss rider Jan Scherrer, who won bronze in 2022, withdrew at the last minute. In a video posted on Instagram, Scherrer explained that he hit his head during a practice crash just before the qualifiers. "I felt dizzy, my balance was off, and my doctor would not clear me to ride," he said.

A gold medal would make James Australia's most decorated Winter Olympian, surpassing freestyle skier Dale Begg-Smith and snowboarder Torah Bright, who each have gold and silver medals.

In the halfpipe, riders perform acrobatic maneuvers on a 22-foot-tall, U-shaped ramp. Judges award points based on amplitude, variety, difficulty, and execution, with a maximum score of 100.

James’ closest competitors were Japanese riders Yuto Totsuka, who scored 91.25, and Ryusei Yamada with 90.25. "I think the difficulty level will keep increasing," Yamada said. "I want to raise the difficulty even more in the final."

Also among the 12 qualifiers was 17-year-old American Alessandro Barbieri, who finished fourth. "(This event is) one of the craziest I've been a part of," he said. "People are bringing their A-game."

Earlier on Wednesday, American Chloe Kim led the riders advancing to the women’s halfpipe final, scheduled for Thursday.

-Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Ken Ferris and Ed Osmond/Reuters