Zoe Atkin Tops Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualification at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
Team GB’s world champion posts 91.50 in Livigno to secure top spot ahead of Saturday’s Olympic medal final
Zoe Atkin led the women’s freeski halfpipe qualification at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 on Thursday 19 February in Livigno, Italy, posting a score of 91.50 to advance first into Saturday’s medal final. The 23-year-old Briton secured top position at Livigno Snow Park with her opening run, putting herself last to drop in the best-of-three final at 18:30 GMT.
According to BBC Sport, Atkin’s first run proved strong enough to hold off the field, with judges rewarding the amplitude of her tricks above the 6.7-metre pipe. The official Olympic website, Olympics.com, confirmed her 91.50 as the highest score of qualification.
Atkin, the reigning world champion, described relief after progressing. “It feels so good,” she told BBC Sport, adding that qualification rounds can be more stressful because athletes have only two runs. Speaking, she said she used meditation and affirmations before competing, telling herself: “You’ve got this.”
Born in the United States to a British father and Malaysian mother, Atkin has represented Great Britain throughout her career. Milano Cortina marks her second Olympic appearance, following her debut four years ago. She is the younger sister of Izzy Atkin, who won Team GB’s first Olympic skiing medal with slopestyle bronze at PyeongChang 2018.
China’s defending Olympic champion Eileen Gu qualified fifth with 86.50 after recovering from a fall on her first attempt, according to BBC Sport. Canada’s Cassie Sharpe, the 2018 Olympic champion and 2022 silver medallist, advanced in third place but was taken away on a stretcher following a heavy crash on her second run, the BBC reported.
By finishing first in qualification, Atkin will drop last in Saturday’s final, allowing her to assess competitors’ scores before her runs. She told the BBC that skiing last offers an opportunity to “strategise a little bit.”
Heavy snowfall in Livigno led organisers to postpone the men’s halfpipe qualification, rescheduling it for Friday morning. The women’s final will determine the Olympic medallists, with Atkin entering as the top qualifier.
