Craine through to Olympic free skate

Australian Kailani Craine has qualified for the figure skating free skate after a strong short program at the Winter Olympics.

Australian skater Kailani Craine

Australian skater Kailani Craine has performed a clean short program to progress to the free skate. (AAP)

Australian figure skater Kailani Craine has performed a clean short program to progress to the free skate in PyeongChang.

Craine scored 56.77 for a routine in which she pulled off a triple loop to double toe loop and an impressive layback spin.

The 19-year-old Winter Olympic debutant finished 16th on Wednesday in the 30-woman field, with the top 24 progressing to the second and final round in two days.

"I actually wasn't that nervous going out. I was nervous before walking out in the warm-up," Craine told the Seven Network.

"I was focused but, because I was so well trained coming into it, I could just switch off my brain and enjoy it at the same time."

Craine has little chance for a medal as Alina Zagitova, under the Olympic Athlete From Russia banner, topped the short program with a score more than 26 points above the Australian.

Another Olympic Athlete From Russia, Evgenia Medvedeva (81.61), and Canadian Kaetlyn Osmond (78.87) round out the top three of qualifying, with the winner decided by the top cumulative score from the two skates.

In the ski cross, Australian Anton Grimus has been eliminated in the first round of finals.

Grimus was forced to race against three top-20 competitors after a slow time in his seeding run due to a crash.

He finished last in the four-man heat, starting slowly then losing further ground as Canadian world No.7 Kevin Drury and 16th-ranked Frenchman Arnaud Bovolenta progressed.

Australia's cross-country skiing team sprint has come up short with both men's and women's failing to make the finals.

The men's team of Callum Watson and Phillip Bellingham were 13th in their qualification run, one minute and 34.39 off the pace.

The women fared better as Jessica Yeaton and Barbara Jezersek finished sixth.


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Source: AAP


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Craine through to Olympic free skate | SBS News