Canadian Olympic champ Cassie Sharpe 1st in halfpipe World Cup qualifier

Canadian Olympic champion Cassie Sharpe finished first in qualifying on Wednesday for this weekend's ski halfpipe World Cup.

The 26-year-old from Comox, B.C., scored 93.75 points on her second of two qualifying runs, outscoring Kelly Sildaru of Estonia by .50 points to top the 24-woman field.

The top eight women skiers in qualifying advanced to Saturday's final.

Rachael Karker of Erin, Ont., also booked a spot in the final. The 21-year-old finished fourth in qualifying.

Simon D'Artois of Whistler, B.C., was the lone Canadian man to advance through the finals. He placed fourth in his heat.

Calgary's Noah Bowman missed a shot at the finals by .25 points, finishing sixth in his heat. The top-five competitors from the two 20-man heats advanced.