Youth Olympic Games champion Gu Ailing will go into Saturday's FIS World Freeski and Snowboard Championships slopestyle final as the top qualifier after seeing off the rest of the field in Thursday's qualifying round in Aspen, the United States.

The Chinese freeski star scored 84.51 points on her second run down the slopestyle course to take the top spot among the top eight athletes into finals on Saturday.

Gu's weaker run (77.41 points) would still have seen her finish top. 

"It feels really good," the Olympic Channel reported Gu telling the media after her run.

"I love Aspen so much, especially coming out of X Games, and the courses here and the course builders are absolutely amazing, phenomenal."

"There is a chance of snow on finals day, so I definitely do have to take weather and safety into account, but if it's like today, definitely look out for some doubles, step-ups on the rails, and a whole lot of fun."

The 17-year-old had two golds and one bronze to her tally at the X Games in late January. To many of her fans' dismay, however, she revealed prior to her World Championships debut campaign that she had her right hand fractured.

"I tore and fractured some stuff in my right hand a few weeks ago and got a cast to protect it before getting my first surgery after the season ends," Gu said on her social media.

"I wasn't sure if I'd be able to grab/ski comfortably, but I'm feeling good and am excited to compete at my first World Championships in the coming weeks," she added.

Having established herself as China's most promising skiing star, Gu advanced into the new season with much anticipation from the fans.

She has also qualified for Friday's halfpipe final and is poised to compete in the big air event at the biennial Freeski tournament, with the qualification slated on Monday and the final on Tuesday.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)

(Cover image: Gu Ailing in the women's freeski halfpipe qualifying round at the 2021 FIS World Championship in Aspen, the United States, March 10, 2021. /CFP)