A rookie American skier in the women's freestyle moguls has been winning fans across the host nation despite falling short of making the final.

Seventeen-year-old Kai Owens was born in a village in China's Anhui Province and adopted by an American couple at just 16 months old.

She grew up in Colorado, where she learned to ski alongside thousands of others.

One of last week's practice sessions saw Owens take a heavy fall, but she returned for Sunday's first round of finals.

A tenth-place finish in the second round left Owens just short of a top-six qualifying spot.

Viewers in China took to the internet to voice their support. Many expressed surprise on learning of her background, while others offered words of encouragement for her to come back stronger.