Great Britain’s Kieran Reilly qualified in top spot for the men’s BMX freestyle final but Charlotte Worthington missed out on the chance to defend her women’s title after failing to progress in Paris.
World champion Reilly scored 91.68 on his opening run then 90.75 on his second to give an average of 91.21 and qualify in top spot.
Competing at his maiden Olympics, the 23-year-old laid down a marker on a scorching day in the French capital.
Qualifying top of the standings means he will go last in the final and, as is often the case in BMX freestyle, there is a sense he is holding back something spectacular.
Riders needed to finish in the top nine of 12 to qualify for Wednesday’s showpiece at Place de la Concorde.
Worthington did not make the cut after scoring 79.20 then 78.82 in her two runs for an average of 79.01 to finish 11th.
“It was super tough,” she told BBC Sport. “I was trying to ride it with the strengths that I have right now and that was a little bit out of my reach.”