Shaun White and his fellow snowboarders will compete in the halfpipe at 10:00 GMT, as scheduled, despite earlier worries about the conditions of the course.

Robin Cousins
1980 Olympic figure skating champion on BBC TV

"In my room and I will bounce on the bed with each move Katie Summerhayes makes in the final, but I probably won't slide down the railings as I am on the sixth floor."

Can Katie Summerhayes win gold? Is slopestyle Britain's new favourite sport? Can we think of another way to get down the course after snowboarding and skiing to try and win another medal? Give us your thoughts using the #bbcsochi hashtag or by commenting on the BBC Sport Facebook page., external You can also follow all the behind the scenes photos on the BBC Sport Instagram page., external

Katie Summerhayes will be the 10th rider out in the final. The Brit among the last three because of her bodacious performance in qualifying.

Oh and we have a faceplant! Camilla Berrera has crashed into the snow and the Swiss is awarded merely 5.60 by the judges, which is harsh considering she did at least entertain.

Kelsey Blackwell:, external I reckon staying at home to support team GB in slopestyle is a fair enough excuse to not go into work, oh and it's raining.

David Grice:, external Amazing runs by Katie Summerhayes this morning. Doing TeamGB proud.

Bill Callaghan:, external Chance of another Olympic gong 'maybe Gold' - go Katie Summerhayes.

Italy's Silvia Bertagna will get the final under way and the blonde Italian pumps first with a team mate at the start line before setting off. She skis backwards and then twist, turns and jumps quite a lot, which are the technical terms, I think. She's awarded 69.60 and is content rather than happy.

Tim Warwood
BBC Sport snowboarding and freestyle skiing commentator

"The tricks Katie Summerhayes are pulling are technical and she's got more in the bag for the final. She's got a Switch 1260, so that's taking off backwards and doing three-and-a-half rotations, landing forwards. She's perhaps not so comfortable with it; I don't think we'll see it in her first run-out.

"I think what she's going to do is put down that really technical rail line, which has helped put her points up, then we'll see her go through the jumps and lay down that first run. Then, hopefully, she'll rip the lid off it in run number two."

Nick Hope
BBC Sport at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park

Can teenager Katie Summerhayes become the first British skier to win an Olympic medal?

Two big obstacles in the form of world champion Kaya Turski (CAN) and World Cup leader Lisa Zimmermann (GER) failed to make it though to the slopestyle qualification which will boost her prospects, but this is still a strong final.

Will she go for bust and risk everything for gold? Or will she repeat what Olympic bronze medal winning snowboarder Jenny Jones did and go for consistency first?

We'll find out in the next hour…

In about five minutes or so the women's ski slopestyle final will begin and union flags will surely be waved frantically around the Extreme Park in support of British finalist Katie Summerhayes.

If you missed qualification, the 18-year-old from Sheffield scored 81.40 and 84.00 in her two runs to make sure of her place in the 12-woman final.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest news on the men's halfpipe is that 10:00 GMT remains the scheduled start time, but training runs are being carried out and, based on the outcome, the FIS [governing body] will determine whether or not to delay the start due to poor conditions.

"Warm temperatures have softened the snow, while some have questioned the build quality, with Winter X Games halfpipe experts overlooked in the design and construction phase," reports BBC Sport's Rob Hodgetts.

Speaking on Monday, Danny Davis of the US said: "It's a bummer to show up at such an event as the Olympics and not have the quality of halfpipe to match the quality of riders."

BBC Sport's Ollie Williams says "at just 4ft 11in and quiet as a mouse, Takanashi's dominance of a sport like ski jump seems improbable".

"I want to be able to jump more efficiently," Takanashi has said. "This is the body I was born with and I wouldn't wish to change that. But I am training hard to suit the needs of the event - trying to strengthen my frame and get more power in my legs.

"I do wish I were a little taller. But you cannot change the way you were born, so what I am trying hard to do is make the very most out of what potential I have."

Image source, Reuters

The fearless Takanashi is regarded as Japan's best medal hope in Sochi. The 17-year-old has been dominant throughout the winter, winning 10 of her 13 World Cup competitions, though largely because 19-year-old Sarah Hendrickson - the women's world champion - spent the entire campaign out with torn knee ligaments. , external

Famously, in 2005, the president of the International Ski Federation (FIS) said there were 'medical' reasons to keep the women's event out of the Olympics.

Gian Franco Kasper told NPR: "Don't forget, it's like jumping down from, let's say, about two metres on the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view."

One of Shaun White's main rivals in the men's halfpipe will be 15-year-old Japanese rider Ayumu Hirano, but it is another Japanese teenager who promises to wow us today by flying like a bird in the women's ski jump.

After a court battle and years of pressure, women have at last been given the chance to jump, external at the Games. Diminutive 17-year-old Sara Takanashi - and 4ft 11in must be classed as diminutive? - is one of the favourites for the title and we should be set for a spectacular competition under the floodlights.

Image source, Zoe Gillings

The secret to making the perfect porridge, external is to bring it to the boil and simmer for four to five minutes, stirring from time to time and making sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If it sticks to the bottom of the pan then, my word, you're in trouble. The oats in Sochi are causing Zoe Gillings, external all sorts of problems, with the British snowboard cross athlete posting a picture of her breakfast and saying on Twitter:, external "Unfortunately none taste like porridge!"

Rob Hodgetts
BBC Sport in Sochi

Recovered from last night's mogul mania? What a cracker, and what a final run by Alex Bilodeau to retain his crown. The pressure was on, not least because former Olympic champions Jonny Moseley (1998), Edgar Grospiron (1992) and Jean-Luc Brassard (1994) were in the house. Bilodeau broke the Canadian gold-medal dam in Vancouver, and announced his retirement after winning again in majestic style here in Sochi.

"It's a great feeling, but first I need to thank my colleagues," he said. "I was the third to go, there were two other Canadians after me, and every day they push me hard I training. That's why I'm the best skier I've ever been right now. The guy who finished second (Mikael Kinsgbury) is going to win everything after I have gone.

"I'm glad to finish my last Olympics like this. It's going to be a great retirement."

The men's halfpipe schedule is subject to change, however, because organisers are apparently looking to delaying the start times in hope that conditions will improve. Rising temperatures have wreaked havoc with the halfpipe during training and no-one wants, or likes, a slushy halfpipe. We will keep you posted when we get official confirmation on that.

Gone are White's long auburn locks, of course, and he has already caused some controversy by withdrawing from the slopestyle event, claiming the course was "a little intimidating"

"I preserved myself for the event today. I'm really happy with my decision," White said. "I feel pressure all the time [to win] and I'm trying not to think about it too much."

Qualifying will start from 1000 GMT, with the final beginning at 1730.

In a little under two hours qualification for the men's halfpipe will begin, bringing the Flying Tomato out onto the snow. Shaun White, known as the Flying Tomato, is the world's most popular snowboarder. He had his first endorsement deal aged seven, plays in a band called Bad Things, and he likes to win. In fact, he's very used to winning.

He has dominated the X Games circuit and is now bidding to become the first snowboarder to win three straight gold medals.

Image source, Virginie Faivre

Ever wondered what an Olympic athlete's bedroom looks like? Quite similar to a run-of-the-mill dorm in, say, an outdoor pursuit centre in, say, Pembrokeshire, actually. Swiss freestyle skier Virginie Faivre shows us exactly what it is like on Facebook:, external "After a long travel day, I finally arrived in the Mountain Olympic Village!!! From Russia with love!"