LIVIGNO, Italy — Chloe Kim wasted little time securing her place in the Olympic halfpipe final on Wednesday, delivering an outstanding opening run during qualifying at the Milan Cortina Games. Kim, who returned to competition just four weeks after suffering a shoulder injury that cast doubt on her status as the event’s frontrunner, demonstrated she remains a top contender for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal.

In her first competitive appearance since the injury, the American snowboarder performed with characteristic ease, impressively elevating above the field with her height and the complexity of her maneuvers. Kim’s routine was nearly flawless and resulted in a score of 90.25, placing her 2.5 points ahead of Sara Shimizu from Japan. Fellow American Maddie Mastro followed, finishing 4.25 points behind Kim, underscoring her dominant performance.

The qualifying session was interrupted for roughly ten minutes following a serious crash by Liu Jiayu of China, who fell near the bottom of the halfpipe. Liu was removed from the venue on a stretcher, and Chinese officials did not immediately provide an update regarding her condition.

As Kim advances to the final, she continues her pursuit of a historic third straight Olympic gold, having easily secured her passage in a field she once again commanded.