Valentino Guseli has launched Australia's hunt for Winter Olympics gold in "insane" fashion, nailing his last jump to clinch a place in the snowboard big air final as a last-minute replacement.
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Guseli had ambitions of competing in three Milan-Cortina Olympic events - big air, slopestyle and halfpipe - but failed to qualify for the first two after injuring his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in late 2024.
The 20-year-old went to sleep on Wednesday (local time) knowing he was a chance of a late call-up for the big air after Mark McMorris's training crash.
Confirmation of Guseli's elevation, for the event that features athletes launching off a ramp built on scaffolding that rises more than 50 metres above the course, came approximately three hours before it started on Thursday.
The young gun shed a tear after he went large on his third and final jump at Livigno's Snow Park, scoring a 91.50 to secure the last spot in the 12-man final that begins on Sunday (0530 AEDT).
Guseli's switch backside 1980 tailgrab was scored the second-best run of the day, bettered only by Italian Ian Matteoli's 93.75.
"The last 24 hours have been insane," Guseli said.
"One day waiting to hear if I'm in or not. I went over to the mini park (to train) because I haven't hit jumps in ages. I've just been riding half pipe. I worked on some tricks.
"I only got eight runs of training because I didn't train before I found out I was in. I wasn't allowed to.
"It's been crazy. The last run that I had was probably one of the most amazing moments of my life. I feel like at some point all of the work that you do has to pay off.
"The whole goal of this season was to qualify (for the Olympics). I didn't have last season to do it because I did my ACL.
"No matter how hopeless your life can feel at a certain point, you might be right about to have the most amazing thing ever happen to you. So keep going and you never know when the hard work is going to pay off."
Guseli threw his snowboard into the air in delight after the final run, with a combined total of 163 ensuring the first Australian to compete at the 2026 Games made the cut.
Hiroto Ogiwara led a three-man Japanese attack in the field with a top score of 178.5 points, while three New Zealanders - Lyon Farrell, Rocco Jamieson and Dane Menzies - also progressing.
Guseli is still considered a strong medal chance in the halfpipe after winning a World Cup event in Calgary and placing sixth at Beijing 2022, where he made his Olympic debut.
"I ended up being in (for big air) based off the fact that I'm already here for halfpipe, and my halfpipe points transferred over," he said.
"I got the start miraculously.
"Receiving it from one of the greatest snowboarders of all time (McMorris), I wanted to do something special with it.
"Me and my dad have a term for it, it's like giving every situation the 'correct ingredients'."
Australia's Torah Bright became the first person to compete in three snowboard disciplines at a single Olympics when she lined up at Sochi in 2014 in the halfpipe, slopestyle and snowboard cross, winning silver in the halfpipe.
Qualification for big air and slopestyle are linked but Guseli isn't guaranteed a start in slopestyle, with McMorris given the opportunity to recover and compete.
The Canadian veteran was carried off on stretcher after he crashed during training.
The 32-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries in 2017 after crashing into a tree while snowboarding and has since competed with a rod in his leg, a plate in his arm and another in his jaw.
Australian Associated Press
