Robert Johansson Tops Ski Jumping Large Hill Qualifying at 2018 Winter Olympics

Norway's Robert Johansson beat compatriot Johann Andre Forfang to the top spot during Friday's men's large hill ski jumping qualifying at the 2018 Winter Olympics. 

Johansson was the only man to clear a total score of 130, finishing with 131.9. Defending champion Kamil Stoch easily qualified for the final, finishing seventh, and Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi set a new hill record for distance, clearing 140 meters. 

Here's a look at the five best qualifiers:

For the full list of qualifiers, click here.

Alexey Romashov, representing the Olympic Athletes from Russia, was the first to clear 100 points in total with a solid jump of 136 meters. Kobayashi cleared 140 meters to grab the lead, besting Romashov by nearly 20 points.

Per Hill Size Magazine, it would take something special to beat his effort:

The 21-year-old did lose some wind points, so Michael Hayboeck didn't sit too far back in the total rankings after their jumps, even if he didn't come close to his distance.

2017 world champion Maciej Kot of Poland and Germany's Markus Eisenbichler also kept pace with the Japanese leader, who patiently waited for some of the favorites to jump. 

Norway's Johansson and Forfang bested Kobayashi on back-to-back jumps, although neither beat his distance. 

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

All eyes were on Stoch, however, and the two-time Olympic champion comfortably finished inside the top 10, taking seventh place with a distance of 131.5 meters. While the distance was well below that of the top finishers, his execution was nearly perfect, boding well for the final.

The final round will take place Saturday.