Olympic bronze medallist confirms fourth British Crystal Globe in two days after stellar campaign
Olympic Freeski Halfpipe bronze medallist, Zoe Atkin, banked the Halfpipe Crystal Globe for the second time in her career as she soared to a second World Cup win and fourth World Cup podium of the season in Silvaplana.
Lining up for her first World Cup outing since winning the country’s first ever Halfpipe medal at the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, Atkin dominated from the outset, qualifying in first position and then setting the competition winning score in her first run of Finals to ease her way onto the top of a World Cup podium for the fourth time in her career, and the first time outside of the USA.
Victory, which came ahead of New Zealand’s Mischa Thomas and Aleksandra Glaskova, competing as an athlete of an independent nation, saw her amass a lead of 70 points over Australia’s Indra Brown in the overall standings, and confirmed Atkin’s second career Crystal Globe having also taken seasonal honours in 2025.
Atkin’s accolade marks a fourth Crystal Globe for Britain in two days, after Kirsty Muir sealed both the Slopestyle and Overall Freeski Park & Pipe titles with her own Silvaplana podium, with Charlotte Bankes later adding the Snowboard Cross overall title for the third time in her career.
Those results mark the first time British athletes have ever secured four Crystal Globes in Olympic disciplines in a single season and, added to the three medals won across the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, confirm the 2025/26 season as a record-breaking endeavour for GB Snowsport athletes, featuring 50 major podiums for British skiers and snowboarders.
Overall Freeski Park & Pipe Globe and SBX Globe add further glamour to sparkling season
Kirsty Muir and Charlotte Bankes both secured historic Crystal Globe honours on another history-making day for British ski and snowboard athletes.
In Silvaplana, Muir ended a weather-affected final Slopestyle World Cup of the season with silver and a fourth World Cup podium of the season to secure double Crystal Globe honours, taking both the Freeski Slopestyle and Freeski Overall Park & Pipe titles for the first time in her career.
A dominant figure across the World Cup season, Muir’s titles were built on Big Air World Cup gold in Secret Garden in November, followed by a brace of Slopestyle victories in Snowmass and Tignes, bookmarking an Olympic Winter Games campaign which saw the 21-year-old finish fourth in both of her events.
Silver in Silvaplana ensured she would finish 69 points clear of Canada’s Elena Gaskell in the Slopestyle standings, and with an insurmountable lead in the Overall standings, marking the first time the Scottish sensation has taken Crystal Globe honours.
For Bankes, Crystal Globe titles are no stranger, having lifted the SBX trophy in both 2022 and 2023. Her third career Globe came having begun the day’s racing in Mt St Anne at the top of the standings, before coming through for her fifth individual podium and third victory of the 2026 season, adding to Team SBX wins alongside Huw Nightingale in the Cervinia World Cup in December and, most famously, at the Olympic Winter Games last month.
Bankes’ victory cements her position as one of Britain’s finest ever snowsport athletes, and one of the greatest Snowboard Cross racers of all time with a scarcely credible thirty World Cup victories now to her name.
GB Snowsport Chief Executive Vicky Gosling said: “To see British athletes lifting three Crystal Globes on a single day is a remarkable achievement, and yet another milestone on the incredible journey we’ve been on as a winter sport nation over the past eight years.
“Kirsty and Charlotte deserve an extraordinary amount of praise for their performances across this season and across the past four years as a whole, as do their coaches, support staff, and the entire team around them.
“These results, coming off the back of Britain’s best ever Olympic Winter Games, show once again that British snowsport is in good hands, and promises more extraordinary accomplishments in the years to come.”
Head Coach Pat Sharples added: “I don’t think there could have been a better way for Charlotte and Kirsty to end their seasons than we’ve seen today, both taking away Crystal Globes. It shows their consistency against the best in the world right through this whole season.
“It’s absolutely fantastic, and we’re incredibly proud of both of them, as well as the whole wider GB Snowsport coaching and support team who’ve worked tirelessly through this whole winter. The entire team have done an incredible job, and to end the season on a high like this is just reward for all the hard work from everyone involved with GB Snowsport.”
As the season draws to a close, British athletes continued to standout on the international stage, delivering five medals across Freeski, Snowboard and Telemark, in another strong week for GB Snowsport
Muir makes it two for two in Tignes
Kirsty Muir successfully defended her World Cup Slopestyle title in Tignes, to claim her third World Cup victory of the season.
Having secured her first ever World Cup victory on this very course in 2025, Muir raised the bar once again, adding a right double 1080 into her run to seal back-to-back victories.
The 21-year-old also qualified for Big Air finals in top spot, but a crash on her opening left double 1440 caused her to injure her thumb, resulting in her opting for a safer approach left cork 720 to claim a respectable sixth place finish.
On the men’s side, James Pouch returned to competition for his first Slopestyle World Cup of the season, finishing 41st and backing it up with a top 30 result in Big Air. Jeremy Boiston made his first World Cup appearance for GB Snowsport, landing solid runs in both competitions to claim 48th in Slopestyle and 36th in Big Air, gaining valuable experience on the World Cup circuit.
Brookes seals Slopestyle Gold
Mia Brookes made an immediate impact on her return to the World Cup circuit, taking the gold in her first Slopestyle World Cup of the season, in what was her first appearance since the Winter Olympic Games.
She topped the qualification before delivering a composed first run in the final, scoring 73.25 and a well-earned victory lap. Despite the poor weather conditions, Brookes executed a flawless rail section and back-to-back 900’s to seal the win and her fifth World Cup title of her career.
This caps off a golden week for Brookes who also claimed two gold medals in the Absolute Park Spring Battle Slopestyle and Rail Jam earlier in the week.
Elsewhere in Flachau, Ethan Smith produced a career-best World Cup performance, finishing eight in his heat-just one place shy of the final-and 16th overall. Txema Mazet Brown also finished inside the top 20, rounding off a strong showing from the snowboard squad.
Atkin takes bronze on Snow League debut
Fresh off the Olympic podium, Zoe Atkin secured bronze in her debut Snow League event, in the final leg of the series in Laax, Switzerland.
Atkin took victory over Canada’s Rachael Karker in the quarterfinal, before facing Olympic Champion, Eileen Gu, in the semifinals. A narrow defeat saw her move into the bonze medal match against New Zealand’s Mischa Thomas.
In a tightly contested battle, Atkin responded quickly to a fall on her second run with a superb final effort, scoring 88.50 to secure victory in the third-place matchup.
Atkin also won the ‘highest female air’ award, boosting nearly 16 feet out of the pipe and underlying her status as one of the sport’s most progressive halfpipe skiers.
Gus Kenworthy also dropped in for his second Snow League event but was unable to progress beyond the quarterfinals after a fall on his final run.
Taylor doubles up on Classic podiums in Pra Loup
Jasmin Taylor continued her remarkable season in Pra Loup, securing silver and bronze in the Classic races, alongside a fourth-place finish in the Sprint.
These results bring her tally to 10 World Cup podiums this season, strengthening her position ahead of the final World Cup event next week. Taylor currently sits second in the overall standings as she pushes in the battle for the Crystal Globe.
Davies delivers season best in Craigleith
Ollie Davies had a standout result in the penultimate Ski Cross World Cup of the season, picking up fourth place to mark his best result of the season so far.
After qualifying in 22nd, Davies battled through the knockout rounds, winning his quarterfinal and placing second in his semifinal to reach the Big Final.
Despite running in second for most of the race, he narrowly missed out on the podium, but nonetheless the result marks his best World Cup finish since 2023.
The 28-year-old will close out his World Cup season at the Ski Cross finals in Gallivare, Sweden.
Cross Country World Cup season draws to a close
A stacked British lineup took to the start line in Lake Placid for the final Cross Country World Cup of the season.
Andrew Musgrave led the performances with ninth place in the 20km Mass Start Free and 12th in the 10km Interval Start Classic, while Joe Davies followed closely, finishing 16th and 17th in the same events.
Anna Pryce matched her career-best World Cup result in 35th in the Sprint, marking a positive return to competition since her record-breaking Olympic Games.
James Clugnet delivered consistent results, placing 31st in the Sprint and 32nd in the 20km Mass Start Free, while Andrew Young back it up with 36th place. Meanwhile, Gabriel Gledhill brought his competitive career to a close in Lake Placid, signing off after several seasons representing Great Britain on the World Cup circuit.
21-year-old returns to action in dominant post-Olympic performance
Kirsty Muir took a third World Cup victory of the 2025/26 season, winning yesterday’s Tignes Slopestyle World Cup in her first taste of action since the Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
Sailing through qualification in first spot, Muir laid down a winning run at the first attempt, her score of 82.78 coming in more than six points clear of the rest of the field, and holding onto top spot through the second run to leave her with a final run victory lap.
Muir, who took victory ahead of Canada’s Elena Gaskell and Lara Wolf, now sits top of the Slopestyle and Overall Freeski Park & Pipe standings, and second in Big Air, ahead of this evening’s Tignes Big Air World Cup where she has once again qualified in top spot.
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.”
Kenworthy claims best-ever Olympic halfpipe finish on his fourth Games
After three years off-snow following the Beijing Olympic Winter Games in 2022, Gus Kenworthy returned to the biggest stage with a vengeance, producing his strongest ever Olympic Halfpipe result and Britain’s best ever Olympic Halfpipe performance to finish sixth the men’s Freeski Halfpipe finals.
Having qualified in ninth, the 34-year-old raised the bar when it mattered most. Stomping four doubles across five hits in the pipe, he posted an impressive 84.75 to secure his best Olympic finish in the discipline.
Although he was unable to land his final run to challenge for the podium, his result showed that Kenworthy has lost none of the flair, skill, and competitive instinct that has marked him out as one of the greatest Freeski athletes of all time, and proved a significant step in his late career renaissance, improving on his eighth-place finish at in Beijing 2022.
Competing at his fourth Olympic Games as the oldest athlete in the field, Kenworthy demonstrated his longevity, resilience and lasting legacy he has carved within Freestyle Skiing.
Speaking afterwards, Kenworthy said:
“It’s hard to know how to feel, sixth feels so close, so I’m pretty bummed.
“I went a bit conservative to get a safe run down, but then gave myself only one shot to go for it. In hindsight I should have probably given myself two tries for a full pull.
“Being back in the Olympics is special, so I’ll see you in four years.”
Richards impressive on Olympic debut
Liam Richards delivered a composed and promising performance on his Olympic debut, finishing in 17th in the men’s Freeski Halfpipe qualifiers after two assured runs.
The 18-year-old approached the occasion with maturity beyond his years. Opting for a clean and controlled opening run to get a score on the board, Richards laid down a solid foundation before raising the intensity on his second attempt.
He set the tone with a huge switch right 900 tail, then stepped it up with a switch left double 1080 before moving down the pipe to deliver his trademark left double 1260.
Despite struggling with amplitude, Richards clean and technical performance was enough to earn him a score of 61.00 to cap an impressive first appearance on the sport’s biggest stage.
Zoe Atkin delivered a statement performance to open her second Olympic Games, qualifying in top spot for the women’s Freeski Halfpipe finals.
The 23-year-old dominated the competition from the outset, stomping her first run to score a massive 91.50, with a commanding display of skill and composure.
Her run showcased her trademark left 540 mute to open the run, spinning in all four directions and closing things out with a switch right cork 720 safety.
Atkin’s qualification success continues what has already been an outstanding season. With four World Cup podiums, including two victories, she has underlined both her consistency and potential heading into her second Olympic finals.
After finishing ninth on her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, Atkin now returns in career-best form and will be aiming to convert qualification dominance into a podium challenge.
The women’s Freeski Halfpipe finals will take place on Saturday 21st February at 18:30 GMT.
Weather Postpones men’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualifications
High winds and heavy snowfall forced the postponement of the men’s Freeski halfpipe qualifications for Gus Kenworthy and Liam Richards.
Kenworthy is set to make his fourth Olympic appearance alongside 18-year-old Richards, who is preparing for his Olympic debut, bringing both a wealth of experience, as well as exciting young talent to the British line-up.
The rescheduled competition will now take place on Friday 20 February at 09:30 GMT.
Muir seals fourth to deliver Britain’s best ever Olympic Freeski big Air result
Kirsty Muir captured the hearts of the nation with a sensational performance in one of the most progressive women’s Freeski competitions ever witnessed on the Olympic stage.
Giving it absolutely everything she had, Muir sealed her second fourth place finish of the Games, surpassing her previous Olympic best of fifth and Great Britain’s best-ever result in Olympic Freeski Big Air.
She opened her final with a beautifully executed right double 1080 mute, stomping the landing to get her first score on the board of 81.75 and immediately put her in contention.
She then raised the bar even higher, throwing down with a massive left double 1620 safety – one of only two 1620s landed in the entire field, to move into a podium position with a combined score of 174.75.
Dropping in reverse order, Muir remained in medal contention until the closing stages, until Italy’s Flora Tabanelli matched her left double 16 to edge ahead and push the Brit outside the podium places by just 3.50 points. Unable to land her final run, Muir ultimately sealed fourth place.
While a medal narrowly eluded her, courage, composure and sportsmanship embodies everything it means to be an Olympian, further cementing her status an icon of the sport.
TWO IN THE TOP 20 IN MEN’S SLALOM AS RYDING SIGNS OFF on Olympic CAREER
Dave Ryding marked an incredible end to his legendary Olympic career, dropping into his fifth and final Winter Olympic Games, lining up alongside teammates Billy Major and Laurie Taylor in the men’s Slalom.
Billy Major had a standout charge, laying down an impressive first run to sit 13th at the halfway mark. He followed it up with another strong showing, clocking a combined time of 1:57.25 to secure 16th overall – a powerful response to his DNF on Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 and clear evidence of his continued progression on the world stage.
Ryding followed close behind, sitting in 19th after the opening run, he gave it everything he had on his second run to climb into 17th place, just 0.23 seconds behind Major, ensuring he signed off with another top-20 Olympic finish.
Taylor unfortunately recorded a DNF on the first run after straddling a gate midway down the course, ending his fight early. Nonetheless, his presence alongside Major and Ryding, marked a significant moment for British Alpine Skiing, with three athletes starting in the top 30 at an Olympic Games.
It was a fitting conclusion to Ryding’s extraordinary Olympic journey, while Major and Taylor continue to build momentum as part of an exciting new chapter for British Slalom.
Bankes and Nightingale strike gold in Mixed Team SBX
Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale have carved their names into the history books, claiming Great Britain’s first ever Olympic Gold medal on snow – and the nation’s first Snowboard Cross podium at an Olympic Games.
The dynamic duo dominated the competition from the ouset, topping both their quarterfinal and semifinal heats, underlying their credentials as genuine medal contenders heading into the Big Final.
Nightingale led the charge in the final, dropping first and delivering a composed run to cross in line in second place, just 0.14 seconds behind France’s Loan Bozzolo, laying a solid platform for Bankes to build on.
Dropping just behind France’s Lea Casta, Bankes immediately got to work, pumping every roller to build speed and close the gap. Carrying crucial momentum into the lower section of the course, she made her decisive move on the final corner, powering into the lead and holding her nerve over the final just to seal victory.
The triumph marked a remarkable comeback for the British pair after disappointment in the individual events earlier in the Games, as well as improving on their sixth-place finish at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.
Slopestyle Qualifications Brought Forward as Three Brits Miss Out on Finals
Adverse weather forced the Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications to run a day ahead of schedule, with Txema Mazet Brown, Mia Brookes and Maisie Hill take to the course earlier than planned.
Mazet-Brown was first up for Great Britain in the men’s field, showcasing his creativity through the rails with a stylish backboard under flip 450, before lining up a cab 1260 on the first of three jumps.
However, speed proved costly on both runs – coming up short on his backside 1260 attempt brought his qualification hopes to an end, as he finished 27th overall.
While he was unable to put down a full run, the 19-year-old marked a promising Olympic Slopestyle debut and underlined his potential on the sport’s biggest stage.
Brookes and Hill followed in the women’s competition, each making their Olympic Slopestyle debuts, but both falling on their opening runs, leaving everything to play for on run two.
Brookes delivered one of the most technically demanding rail sections in the field, before executing a frontside 720 and backside 1260 on the jumps. A slip of her cab 900 attempt on the finals feature proved decisive, as she posted a score of 56.52 to finish 17th, narrowly outside the qualification places.
Hill responded strongly on her second run, floating smoothly through the rails before stomping a frontside 720, into back-to-back 540 on the jumps. Her composed performance earned 48.66 and 21st making her the only British rider to land a clean run across the Snowboard Slopestyle qualifications.
With practice time reduced due to the weather-affected schedule, the British trio showed resilience on their Slopestyle debuts, with plenty more promise to come in future competitions.
MCCORMICK ROUNDS OUT OLYMPIC JOURNEY IN STYLE
Chris McCormick closed out his first Olympic campaign, putting on a strong showing in the men’s Freeski Big Air qualifiers, landing back-to-back switch double 1800’s to post a combined score of 127.75.
Despite nursing an injured ankle, the 27-year-old battled through to deliver two solid runs, finishing 21st overall on his Olympic Big Air debut.
For McCormick, it was more than just the result; it was about stepping up and leaving everything on the jump when it mattered most.
The Scotsman’s Olympic journey now draws to a close, but he will be cheering on teammate Kirsty Muir as she takes to the Big Air jump for the women’s Freeski Big Air finals tomorrow night.