Belarus' Anton Kushnir fought off two world championship medalists from China to grab the freestyle skiing aerials title Sunday in the Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

Kushnir emerged winner after he laid down a back, double-full, full, double-full and produced a solid landing to earn 134.50 points in a super final where Chinese skiers Qi Guangpu and Jia Zongyang were the top qualifiers.

"From the start the plan was to do the particular jumps. I did it several times. I can't say I did a lot of times but I practised it and it worked out well," said the 29-year-old who finished 15th in Vancouver four years ago.

Kushnir's family, including his two-year-old son, were among the spectators to root for him. Kushnir said their presence gave him a great boost in the final.

"I am so happy that they came here. It is so great that when I see them I can jump longer and with more power," he said.

A jubilant David Morris claimed a first men's aerials medal for Australia - the silver, with a back double-full, full, full that earned him a score of 110.41.

"I want to throw up, I feel so sick," said Morris. "It means so much. I am the only boy in Australia doing this. I was told at the start I wouldn't be good enough and now I have a silver medal at the Winter Olympics."

The 2013 World Championships bronze medalist Jia was the last to jump. Kushnir's excellent performance and the failed landing from his compatriot Qi, 2013 world champion, clearly put some burden on him as he fell on his back full, double-full, double-full. Still it was enough for him to earn 95.06 to take bronze.

The men's final resembled the women's on Saturday when Belarusian veteran Alla Tsuper seized the title after edging 2013 world champion Xu Mengtao and World Cup winner Li Nina, both from China, as well as Vancouver 2010 gold medalist Lydia Lassila of Australia at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

Both Xu and Li crashed on their landings.

Jia admitted that the Chinese women's performance had an impact on them.

"The women's performance and their scores had an impact on us, but later we tried to focus on our techniques and our skills. All of us in the men's team have done our best in today's competition, " said Jia, who clinched China's eighth medal in freestyle skiing .

The second qualification round already saw high profile casualties bid farewell to Sochi.

World Cup No. 1 Liu Zongqing, 29, put a disappointing end to his third Olympic trip and defending champion Alexei Grishin of Belarus also stumbled in his fifth Olympics.

Liu lost his balance and fell onto the snow, which left him last of the 15 skiers.

"I performed below par, especially in my second qualification jump," said the Chinese. "I wanted to do a perfect landing but when I was in the air my legs didn't straighten and the landing was not good at all."

"I don't know what caused me to lose my form," he added.