Team GB's Zoe Atkin has won women’s ski halfpipe bronze in Livigno on Sunday to claim Great Britain’s fifth medal of their record-equalling 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.
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Li then improved her second run score to 93.0, just enough to pip Atkin.
The Team GB athlete settled for matching her sister Izzy, who won bronze in ski slopestyle in 2018.
The competition finals were originally scheduled for Saturday evening, but officials delayed the event due to persistent heavy snowfall in Livigno.
An official statement confirmed: "Unfortunately, due to persistent heavy snow and the inability to prepare the pipe in a safe and fair condition, the jury has made the decision to postpone the women's halfpipe finals to Sunday."
Team GB's Zoe Atkin has won women’s ski halfpipe bronze in Livigno on Sunday
|GETTY
The Milan-Cortina Games conclude on Sunday, which sparked a significant challenge for organisers.
If the weather did not change, they would be left with virtually no room to manoeuvre the event.
Moving the event to Monday or Tuesday is not an option within the Olympic schedule.
Temperatures had plunged to minus 12 degrees Celsius.
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Zoe Atkin qualified in first place and led after the first run of the final
|GETTY
However, bright sun greeted the athletes on Sunday morning, meaning the event could proceed.
No British athlete has ever claimed Olympic gold while wearing skis, but fans are optimistic that Atkins could be the first.
Taking the Bronze, Atkin’s medal means Team GB match their previous best haul of five from both the 2014 and 2018 Games.
Britain's three golds make it officially their most successful Winter Games, having previously never won more than one gold.
Approximately 55 British athletes travelled to Italy for the competition.
Zoe Atkin fell behind Chinese pair Eileen Gu and Li Fanghui
|GETTY
Team GB has received substantial investment of more than £32.5million in Lottery funding distributed across winter sports during the current Olympic cycle.
Speaking before the games, Chef de mission Eve Muirhead expressed confidence in the squad's readiness.
She said: "We’ve been meticulous in our preparations for Milano Cortina 2026. I know first-hand the difference the right environment can make at an Olympic Games, and our focus has been on creating the conditions that allow athletes to deliver when it matters most.
"The potential within this team is exceptionally high, and while we don’t always benefit from the same ease of access to snow and ice as some of our rivals, when I look at the class of 2026, I see a real opportunity to challenge the status quo.
"We are heading to Italy as a credible force across more disciplines than ever before, and I’m excited to see the nation get behind them."
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