FREESTYLE: Halfpipe skier Amy Sheehan finished third in the World Cup in Calgary, Canada, Saturday morning, providing the Australian with a career first podium finish.

The result also improved the 27-year-old athlete’s ranking by six places, to be currently fifth in the world with just two rounds of World Cup competition to be held before the qualification cut-off date for February’s Sochi Olympic Winter Games in Russia.

Sheehan’s performance led the way for an impressive day for Australian women’s halfpipe skiing with fellow Aussie Davina Williams finishing ninth, equalling her previous best World Cup result from January 2008.

Williams’ performance today has also pushed her ranking from 18^th after the last event in Copper Mountain, USA, in December, to 16.

After an impressive third place in the qualification round, Sheehan’s bronze medal was set up with a strong run in her first trip down the pipe.

The Australian scored 79.20 from the five judges, a score she was unable to better in the second run of the day.

Sheehan set up an exciting finish with the top three being tightly bunched. Great Britain’s Rowan Cheshire grabbeds the win with 80.40 points, ahead of second placed Swiss skier Virginie Faivre on 79.80.

The World Cup tour now moves south to the Breckenridge in the United States with events on January 9 and 12.

Ski Halfpipe for women is one of 12 new events for the Sochi 2014 Games.

A National Olympic Committee can send a maximum of 26 Freestyle Skiers across the disciplines of Aerials, Moguls, Ski Cross, Ski Halfpipe and Ski Slopestyle with a maximum of 14 men or women. Australia is one of the strongest nations in the world in Freestyle Skiing.

The Moguls Team will be in action at the Calgary World Cup over the weekend>>>