Japan's Takeru Otsuka looks to become double junior world champion after qualifying in first for the slopestyle final ©FIS Snowboard/Twitter

Japan continued their form at the Junior Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships as Takeru Otsuka and Kokomo Murase qualified top in the men’s and women’s slopestyle events in Cardona in New Zealand.

Following his gold in the big air competition, Otsuka qualified for the slopestyle final in first, followed by American Luke Winklemann.

Winklemann was also second to Otsuka in the big air final so will look to reverse the result in slopestyle.

The Netherlands took third place in the qualifier through Niek van der Valden as the top 12 men progressed through to the final.

Big air bronze medallist, William Buffey, qualified for the final in fifth followed by his Canadian teammate John MacDougall.

American Ryan Stevenson has qualified top in the ski slopestyle event but the women's competition has been rescheduled to tomorrow ©FIS Freestyle Ski/Facebook
American Ryan Stevenson has qualified top in the ski slopestyle event but the women's competition has been rescheduled to tomorrow ©FIS Freestyle Ski/Facebook

In the women’s event, big air gold medallist Murase also finished in top spot in qualifying.

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski Synnott claimed the second qualifying place for the hosts, with big air silver medallist and Canadian Sommer Gendron in third.

The top eight women qualified for the final, which will take place alongside the men’s competition tomorrow.

In the ski slopestyle, only the men’s event took place, with the women’s event rescheduled to tomorrow.

The delayed event saw the United States qualify top through Ryan Stevenson, followed by Norwegian Birk Ruud and Japan’s Taisei Yamamoto.

The competition has been subject to delays and rescheduling throughout due to poor weather and persistent fog.