An emotional Lydia Ierodiaconou has vowed to return to aerial skiing with teammate Jacqui Cooper as her example after rupturing her knee in the qualifying final at the Winter Olympics.

Ierodiaconou's Games ended with a series of piercing screams as she tore her recently reconstructed ACL when she failed to properly land her second jump in competition.

The tearful 24-year-old spoke of her desire to stay in the sport and said compatriot and friend Cooper - who had worked her way back from a serious knee injury at the last Winter Olympics to qualify first here - would inspire her.

"I was so happy for her last night and I know what she's been through - I was there," said Ierodiaconou, before getting an MRI scan on her knee.

"I've been a good friend to her the whole way and I know what she's done to get back (from injury).

"I'll just get it fixed and go with the flow and I'll be back - and at least this time I'll be able to take my time a little bit."

Ierodiaconou had torn her ACL just eight months prior and in an effort to get to the Games in such a short period of time had radical surgery where a donor cadaver's tendon was grafted to the joint.

But that gave way on attempting to land the second of her triple twisting double somersaults.

Moments before the 24-year-old crashed out, exultant teammate Jacqui Cooper had been smiling and celebrating her unexpected first place in qualifying.

Cooper, who had not won a World Cup event in four years, pulled out two of her best jumps to qualify with a world record score of 213.36 ahead of Chinese pair Xuo Gin Gin (204.87) and pre-competition favourite Li Nina (188.93).

Yet she immediately shared Ierodiaconou's pain, crouching to the ground and blocking her ears to the screams.

"I think the first scream we heard was the instantaneous pain as it (the ACL) tore and the second one when she realised instantly what she had done," said team doctor Peter Braun.

"She said she heard a crack or felt a snap and the rest was the realisation of the impact that this would have to her competition."

It had been a rollercoaster evening of emotions for the Australians, with Cooper's brilliance and Ierodiaconou's bad luck interspersed with defending Games champion Alisa Camplin's own personal battle.

After going over the handlebars on her first jump Camplin needed an almost flawless second, and just about got it to finish in 10th place and qualify for the 12-woman final.

On any other night Camplin, who made a miraculous recovery from knee surgery herself in October, would have been the focus but the drama surrounding Ierodiaconou was palpable.

She had been in a plum position to qualify, sitting in third place after her first jump with a personal high score of 101.52.

Then it all went wrong.

Coach Todd Ossian was first to her assistance as he came sprinting down the landing hill and he was soon joined by Braun and local medicos.

She was taken from the site in an ambulance with mother Phyllis, Braun and boyfriend and former Finnish moguls star Lauri Lassila but returned to the team hotel with her parents that night.

An emotional Ossian could barely get his head around the events of the evening.

"I was just about feeling as good as you could feel after a semi-final," Ossian said.

"I wish I could say I felt the same way now."

Ierodiaconou had won her comeback World Cup event last month and was considered the most likely Australian medallist because Camplin seemed more underdone and Cooper's form was so scratchy.

Amazingly, she still finished in 14th place less than five points and two spots out of the final.

She said regardless there were no regrets and she accepted what she had done came with risks.

"That's one good thing, I really tried my hardest and did everything I could to get here," said Ierodiaconou.

"I think that was a pretty good effort.

"It was pretty hard to accept I only had a couple of days to go - I wish my knee could have held out for that long."

The other Australian in qualifying, Liz Gardner, finished a disappointing 23rd.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP