Olympic champion Kim's two runs received the two best scores of qualifying, 91.20 points and then 93.80.

Liu Jiayu, the Pyeongchang 2018 runner-up, was on of three Chinese athletes to reach the final with a top-eight finish, along with Cai Xuetong and Wu Shaotong.

Cai was second, scoring 86.20, and leads the halfpipe World Cup standings, having finished first and second at the two previous legs.

Japan's Mitsuki Ono, 17, continued her impressive ascent by placing third on 84.80.

Kim is the reigning world and Olympic champion, but had not competed at a World Cup event since last March.

The 21-year-old's place at Beijing 2022 is already assured.

Fellow American Shaun White, three times the men's Olympic halfpipe champion including at Pyeongchang 2018, has not yet booked his place in China.

It lead White to make a late decision to decision to travel to Laax and he was one of 12 riders to reach the final, finishing fourth in heat one.

Australia's Scotty James topped qualifying, scoring 95.60, and the World Championship silver medallist will be joined by the other two podium finishers in tomorrow's final.

World champion Yūto Totsuka scored 93.60 and Swiss Jan Scherrer 83.00.

Totsuka's fellow Japanese rider Ayumu Hirano, the Pyeongchang 2018 silver medallist, was among the more impressive athletes and earned a second-run score of 95.40.

Halfpipe finals are scheduled to take place on Saturday (January 15).