2026 Winter Olympics: Zoe Atkin wins bronze in women’s freeski halfpipe

Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin put collectively a preventing third run to attain 92.50 and win bronze in the women’s freeski halfpipe on the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Atkin had been main the pack after run 1, the place she scored 90.5, however defending champion Eileen Gu of China, heavy favourite forward of the Games, pulled off gorgeous second and third runs to take gold with a greatest rating of 94.75 on run 3 (she hit 94.00 on run 2 after having failed mid-run to attain 30.00 in run 1).

Gu’s compatriot, Fanghui Li additionally dramatically improved his rating in run 2, scoring 91.50 to leapfrog Atkin, earlier than placing up a 93.00 in run 3 as Atkin pulled mighty shut together with his third run.

Canada’s Amy Fraser got here closest to pipping Atkin off the rostrum, with a 3rd run the place she scored 88.00.

Catching air as excessive as 5m, Atkin’s greatest run had been clear, and judges rewarded her for touchdown her mixture of l-5-Mu, r-7-ld-Tg, r-7-ld-Jp, r-5-ld-Tg, r-AO-3-ld-JP, xr-9-ld-Tg.

Atkin had been the highest qualifier on Friday, topping the charts with a run of 91.50. Li had certified second, and Gu fifth. The American-born skier who competes for crew GB had mentioned she had been “super nervous” throughout the qualifying. “I definitely feel like qualifying is sometimes more nerve-wracking than finals.”

The closing had been postponed to Sunday after heavy snowfall made motion unattainable on the initially scheduled time on Saturday.

While this was Eileen Gu’s third Winter Olympics gold (gold additionally in the halfpipe and massive air on the 2022 Games), this was 23-year-old Atkin’s first (She had completed ninth in the halfpipe in 2022).

The bronze was Great Britain’s fifth medal of the Games — they continue to be fifteenth on the medal desk.