Aussies eye aerial medal at Games

Danielle Scott and Laura Peel will attempt to pick up where Lydia Lassila left off four years ago as Australia seek a fifth consecutive women's aerials medal at the Winter Olympics.

The pair moved through to the finals in contrasting fashion. Scott was poised in nailing a triple-twisting double somersault on her first jump to qualify fifth.

Peel had to do it the hard way in the second qualifier but landed her jump to move through to the first 12-woman final.

"I feel confident I have good jumps; hopefully I can put them down," Peel said.

Lassila, the 2010 champion and 2014 Games bronze medallist, failed to land her jumps and exited the competition along with fellow Australian Sam Wells.

But Australia's successful pair will look to Lassila's achievements as they seek to continue a run of medal performances that started with a gold medal to Alisa Camplin in 2002.

Russian Alexandra Orlova led qualifying in front of Belarusian Hanna Huskova but the Chinese offer a big threat with three of their stars through, headed by Sochi silver medallist Mengtao Xu.

The 12-woman final on Friday night is followed by a top nine showdown with the decider then featuring six athletes.