Zoe Atkin won women’s ski halfpipe bronze in Livigno on Sunday to claim Great Britain’s fifth medal of their record-breaking Winter Olympics.
The 23-year-old qualified in first place and led after the first run of the final, in which the single best score from three runs counts in the standings.
She fell behind Chinese pair Eileen Gu and Li Fanghui after crashing on her second run, and despite improving to 92.5 on her third attempt, he had to settle for third place.
Gu, the defending champion, shrugged off a first run error to soar to her first gold of the Games, enhancing her lead with a stunning final run score of 94.75.
Li then improved her second run score to 93.0, just enough to pip Atkin, who had to settle for matching her sister Izzy, who won ski slopestyle bronze in 2018.
Bright sun greeted the athletes on Sunday morning in a competition that had been postponed on Saturday evening due to heavy snow over the course in Livigno.
Atkin’s medal means Team GB match their previous best haul of five from both the 2014 and 2018 Games – although three golds make it officially their most successful.
Atkin, who was born in the US but qualifies to represent Great Britain due to her English father, entered the Games amid high expectations.
The 23-year-old won the world halfpipe title in Engadin, Switzerland in 2025, and further raised hopes by winning superpipe gold at last month’s X Games in Aspen.
The younger Atkin frequently joked about her desire to go one better than her sister and Thursday’s qualifying, which saw her top the standings with a first run of 91.50, confirmed her status as a serious medal prospect.
While Atkin started the final in style, Gu, looking to upgrade on the two silver medals she had earned already in Livigno and defend her halfpipe crown, pulled out of her first run after her first jump, looking unsettled.
Gu has been distracted throughout her time in Italy, bringing 21 different pairs of skis in her luggage and railing against organisers for failing to accommodate her training requirements as the only athlete to compete in all three disciplines.
Canada’s Amy Fraser nudged in front with a score of 85.00 before Atkin, going last as the top-ranked qualifier, got huge height at her first attempt and sailed over the line with arms aloft and a huge leading score of 90.50.
There was a reversal of fortunes in the second run as both Gu and Li landed big scores to nudge above Atkin, who fell towards the bottom of the course, losing a ski but appearing unhurt.
And after Gu and Li both extended their advantages with impressive third runs, the Briton staged one last major effort but had to settle for securing a matching set with her sister.
