Wallberg had a solid run but did not shine in the qualifying in Livigno and finished in sixth place with 77.37 points.
"It was a bit of a nervous first run. Overall it's okay, but there's a lot more to give," Wallberg told reporters on site.
The top ten skaters will advance directly to the final on Thursday. The remaining 20 skaters will compete for the other ten final spots in a second qualifying round, also on Thursday.
Wallberg has been suffering from back problems and is taking painkillers. He is looking forward to the extra rest.
So damn nice. Partly for the body, but also for the psyche.
Olympic debutant Rasmus Stegfeldt finished in 17th place with 73.23 points and will have to regroup for the second qualifying round.
"Very exciting," said a happy Stegfeldt, who said he believes in himself for the future.
Walter Wallberg won Olympic gold in Beijing 2022. The top qualifier was Ikuma Horishima of Japan.
