Quebecer Laurie Blouin qualifies for the slopestyle snowboarding final in Switzerland

Laurie Blouin of Canada competes during the final run of the snowboard slopestyle competition at Laax Open, in Laax, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Keystone, Gian Ehrenzeller

LAAX, SWI — Quebecer Laurie Blouin qualified for the final of the snowboarding slopestyle event at the Laax Open in Switzerland on Wednesday.

Blouin, of Stoneham-et-Tewksbury, was fourth in qualifying with 74.48 points.

American Jamie Anderson led the session with 83.60 points, followed by New Zealander Zoi Sadowski Synnott (81.26) and Japanese Kokomo Kurase (76.93).

Canadians Brooke Voigt and Jasmine Baird finished in the 12th and 16th place, respectively.

Only the top eight boarders advanced to the slopestyle final, which will take place on Friday.

Blouin, the silver medalist in slopestyle at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, is competing in her first event on the World Cup circuit since her victory in Calgary on Feb. 16, 2020.

She was 16th last week in the high-jump event at the World Cup in Kreischberg, Austria.

Much confusion persisted around the Canadian snowboard team at the start of the week, but it seems that the women's snowboard team finally got the green light to participate in the slopestyle event.

On Tuesday, Snowboard Canada announced that the men's snowboard team was absent and wouldn't qualify for the slopestyle event after two of its members tested positive for the coronavirus.

Snowboarders Maxence Parrot, Sébastien Toutant, Mark McMorris, Tyler Nicholson, Liam Brearley and Cameron Spalding all had to withdraw from the competition.

As a preventive measure, the men's slopestyle competitors have placed themselves in quarantine and will not participate in the Laax Open, Snowboard Canada said.

However, the Canadian halfpipe team is not affected by the current situation.

Cowansville-native Parrot won the high jump event at the Snowboard World Cup in Kreischberg last week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021.