Kirsty Muir Overcomes Olympic Jitters to Secure Slopestyle Final Spot
Scottish freestyle skier Kirsty Muir has successfully navigated the intense pressure of Olympic qualifying, booking her place in the women's ski slopestyle final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games. The 21-year-old from Aberdeen admitted to battling nerves but delivered a composed performance to finish third in the qualifying rounds, setting the stage for a potential medal showdown on Monday.
Steady Performance Under Pressure
Muir showcased her resilience with two solid runs in the qualifying event. Her initial effort scored 63.18 points, which she followed up with a slight improvement to 64.98 on her second attempt. This consistency ensured her safe passage into the final, where she will face top contenders like world number one Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland and two-time Olympic champion Eileen Gu of China.
"I think this morning I was quite good. I was focused, I was able to calm myself down a little bit, but my heart was maybe racing a little bit more than usual," Muir revealed. "After I put my first run down, then I felt a bit of relief and could just be a bit smoother in myself. It's about knowing that I can do it when I'm feeling a little bit nervous, when I'm feeling a little bit of pressure – knowing that I can trust myself and put it down."
Medal Hopes and Competitive Field
With a recent X Games victory under her belt, where she posted an impressive score of 93.66, Muir enters the final with confidence. She emphasized her intention to leave nothing on the slope, stating, "I'm just going to give it everything [in the final]. I'm not going to hold back, and I think that if I do that and I put a run down that I'd like to do, then I'll be just super proud of myself."
However, the competition will be fierce. Gremaud leads the pack with a monster score of 79.15 from qualifying, while Gu recovered from a shaky first run of 1.26 points to post 75.30 on her second attempt, securing second place. Muir will need to elevate her performance to challenge for the podium.
Olympic Pin Trading Passion
Beyond the slopes, Muir's enthusiasm shines through when discussing the Olympic tradition of pin trading. She has embraced this social aspect of the Games, documenting her collection on TikTok and seeking out unique badges from various countries.
"I've got a little bit of an animal collection going," she shared. "I've got a kiwi, a moose and a llama from different countries and I'm really liking them. I've got the clogs from the Netherlands – they're like the popular ones. I mean, last night at the Opening Ceremony was the best thing for pin trading; everyone was going at it."
Muir appreciates how pin trading fosters interaction among athletes, noting, "I think it's such a cool, different aspect of the Olympics and I love how sociable it can be. When would I ever have the courage to go up to another country and just randomly start talking to them? So at least it's nice to have a purpose to go and speak to more people."
The women's freestyle skiing slopestyle final promises to be a thrilling event, with Muir poised to make her mark on the Olympic stage.
