Atkin Claims Historic Freeski Halfpipe Bronze

Zoe Atkin makes history on the closing day of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, claiming Great Britain’s first-ever Olympic Freeski halfpipe medal

Qualifying in first place, Atkin was a force to be reckoned with from the outset and earned the perk of dropping last in the finals.

Atkin delivered a superb opening run, scoring a massive 90.50 to move straight into provisional first place.

Unable to put down her second run, she was bumped down into third place by China’s Fanghui Li and Eileen Gu, who took over the top spot.

Dropping into her third and final run, everything came down to her final attempt as she sat in the bronze medal position.

Saving her biggest performance for last, Atkin posted the highest amplitude of the competition, boosting an incredible five metres out of the pipe on her signature left 540 mute. She raised the technical bar too, stepping up her final hit with a switch right cork 900 to improve her score to 92.50 and seal her status as an Olympic bronze medallist.

The result marks a significant progression from her ninth-place finish at the Beijing Winter Olympics and cements her place in British Snowsport history.

In doing so, Zoe joins her sister, Izzy Atkin – who claimed slopestyle bronze at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics – as an Olympic medallist, making the Atkins one of Britain’s most successful Winter Olympic families.

Speaking afterwards, Atkin said:

“I’m so stoked, I can’t even begin to describe the rollercoaster of emotions it is here at the Olympics.

“I was so stressed out today and so nervous, so I kind of played a little bit safer on my first run just to put one down and then I set it up on that third run there, so I’m just super stoked.

“I’ve been working on my run for the past four years, even longer, and to be able to come back to the Olympics on my second Olympics and be on the podium means so much to me and I’ve been thinking about this for so long.”

On her family:

“I mean, it’s just so special to have all my family out here and they’re all waving the British flag.

“They’re so stoked. A lot of my family came from England and just it means so much to them to wave the flag. It also means so much to me to come down and see them so stoked. It’s all about that support in that community and I definitely could not do it alone.

“Team GB has been so helpful and supportive and flexible and obviously my team around me and my family. I’m so proud to be able to do it for me, but also do it for them.”

On equalling her sister:

“I wanted to one up her so bad – watching her in 2018 has always been such a big moment of inspiration for me and she’s always been my biggest role model. So, I mean, it was so full circle to have her watching me here and supporting me, you know, when I was watching her in Pyeongchang when she got her medal. It’s really special and to kind of share that with her, it just means so much.”