Kirsty Muir enjoyed a confident start to her Olympic campaign, placing third in freeski slopestyle qualifying.

Muir, one of Team GB's best medal hopes, scored a best of 64.

98 from her two runs in Livigno.

That put the 21-year-old behind Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud and China's Eileen Gu - the gold and silver medallists from Beijing 2022 respectively - in the standings.

"I am feeling really relieved.

I was really nervous this morning. Putting a good run down in the qualifications was important for me because I wanted to be in that final," Muir told BBC Sport.

"In the qualifying, it is sometimes more nerve-wracking, whereas, in the final you go all out and you either get it or you don't.

That's what I am going to be ready for. "

Gu, a triple medallist from four years ago, is one of the biggest global stars at these Games and avoided an early shock after crashing off the first rail of her opening run.

After almost a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, Muir has won three World Cup golds in the past year, including two in slopestyle.

The Olympic final takes place on Monday from 11:30 GMT.

Chris McCormick could not match Muir as he attempted to reach the men's slopestyle final, missing out on a place in the top 12 with a best score of 33.

The 27-year-old, who learned to ski on Bearsden dry slope, came into his debut Olympics nursing an ankle injury.

"To even make it to the start gate is a small victory," McCormick - who will also compete in big air - told BBC Sport.

"I really wanted to show my best skiing.

But I'm super happy to be here, especially when I think of where I've come from, from the dry slope to here, that's a big achievement. And I've had a lot of fun, despite all the pain I've been skiing through. "

In Tesero, Anna Pryce made history by becoming the first British athlete to compete in the women's 10km + 10km skiathlon at an Olympic Games.

Pryce, who switched allegiance from Canada last year, came 42nd - finishing seven minutes and 24 seconds behind gold medal winner Frida Karlsson of Sweden.

Pryce said she was so excited to make her Olympic debut that she was "giggling at the start".

"Maybe I should have felt more nervous, I don't know.

But I feel pretty relaxed and maybe that translated into my skiing - which was great," she said

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