Zoe Atkin soared to a bronze medal in the freeski half-pipe, capping off Team GB's most successful Winter Olympics in history. The 23-year-old's podium finish added to an impressive haul of three golds and a silver earlier in the Games, solidifying Britain's best-ever performance at the winter event.
A High-Stakes Final in Livigno
The final, held at Livigno Snow Park, was initially delayed by an hour and a half due to heavy snowfall that blanketed the half-pipe, creating unsafe conditions with poor visibility. Fortunately, the weather cleared on the final day of the Games, allowing 11 athletes to compete under bright sunshine, though Canada's Cassie Sharpe was absent after withdrawing with a concussion from a qualifying crash.
Atkin's Journey to the Podium
As the reigning world and X Games champion, Atkin had qualified in top spot, but faced stiff competition from longtime rival Eileen Gu of China. Gu, the most decorated freeskier in history, recovered from a poor qualifying performance to defend her title from Beijing four years ago, winning gold in her best discipline. Atkin, who finished a disappointing ninth in Beijing, withstood the pressure to secure her first Olympic medal, equalling her older sister Izzy's slopestyle bronze from Pyeongchang 2018.
In the final, nerves were evident among the field, with several early starters crashing on their first runs due to the fresh snow. Gu stumbled initially, scoring 30.00 to place eighth, while China's Li Fanghui impressed with an 81.25 to take provisional third. Atkin, looking relaxed, chatted with her coach and selected music before her run, leveraging her major advantage: amplitude, or the height of her jumps.
The Climactic Runs
Atkin powered into the lead with a superb opening run, scoring 90.50 with consistent execution and difficult tricks in reserve. However, Gu surged ahead with a 94.00 on her second run, successfully landing a trick she had erred on in qualifying. Li then pushed Atkin down to third with a 91.50, while Australian 16-year-old Indra Brown recorded the day's first 1080—a cork 1080 involving three full rotations—but only scored 65.00.
Atkin's second run saw her soar 5.4m into the air, nearly 2m higher than most rivals, but she clipped the pipe and crashed hard, unable to improve her score. Gu posted a 94.75 to maintain her lead, and after Li scored 93.00, China secured the top two podium spots. In her final run, Atkin recovered from the crash to deliver an excellent performance, though her amplitude only earned a 92.50 for bronze.
Celebrations and Historical Context
Despite the bronze, Atkin appeared delighted, celebrating with her fellow medallists as Gu dropped to the snow in joy after defending her title. This result not only marked a personal triumph for Atkin but also highlighted Team GB's historic Games, with China taking gold and silver through Gu and Li—the latter with whom Atkin shared the overall World Cup crystal globe last season.
