On a crisp Sunday morning at Livigno Snow Park, Zoe Atkin soared into British sporting history by clinching the bronze medal in the women’s freestyle skiing halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Olympics—matching her sister’s iconic achievement and sealing a record-equalling fifth medal for Team GB at these Games. The 23-year-old, already the reigning world champion and World Cup leader, delivered a performance packed with resilience, skill, and emotion, capping off a journey that began eight years ago when she watched her older sister, Izzy Atkin, win Britain’s first-ever Olympic skiing medal.
Atkin’s path to the podium was anything but straightforward. Having qualified first for the final—a testament to her spectacular form this season, including an X Games gold and a string of World Cup podiums—she entered the competition as one of the favorites. The final, postponed from Saturday night due to heavy snowfall, only added to the anticipation and nerves. "I can’t even begin to describe the rollercoaster of emotions it is here at the Olympics," Atkin told BBC Sport. "I was so stressed out today and so nervous, so I played it a little bit safe on my first run just to put one down, and I stepped it up a little bit on my third run."
Her first run—a confident, calculated effort—earned her a provisional lead with a score of 90.50. It was a tactical move, as Atkin later admitted, to ensure she had a solid mark on the board. Meanwhile, China’s Eileen Gu, the defending champion and global superstar, faltered on her opening trick, landing awkwardly and abandoning the run. The crowd buzzed with anticipation: could Atkin hold off the challenge from Gu and Li Fanghui, another formidable Chinese contender?
The second runs saw the competition intensify. Gu, determined to defend her crown and seeking her first gold of these Games after two silvers, soared with immense amplitude and style to post a 94.00. Fanghui responded with a 91.50, adding a meter to her highest air. Atkin, undeterred, went for broke with a gigantic 5.4-metre first trick, but a fall midway halted her progress and left her score unchanged. "I've struggled with fear a lot in the past, especially when I was younger. Learning about the mechanisms of the brain has really helped me apply those learnings and new mindsets and be able to test those theories, in practice, in my sport," Atkin, who studies symbolic systems at Stanford University, reflected.
Heading into the third and final runs, the pressure was palpable. Scores across the field ticked upward. Gu, ever the showwoman, delivered a stunning 94.75 on her last attempt, further cementing her status as the most decorated freeskier in Olympic history. Fanghui, not to be outdone, threw down an impressive 900 trick to secure a 93.00. Atkin, knowing that a medal was already hers but hungry for more, launched into the pipe with a smile—her family and British fans waving flags below. She started with another massive 5+ metre jump and finished with a textbook big switch nine, earning a 92.50—agonizingly close to silver, but just half a point shy.
The bronze was historic in more ways than one. Not only did it make Atkin only the second British athlete to win an Olympic skiing medal—her sister Izzy being the first with slopestyle bronze at PyeongChang 2018—it also equalled Team GB’s best-ever Winter Olympics medal haul, matching the five medals won in both 2014 and 2018. But with three golds at Milan-Cortina 2026, this was officially the nation’s most successful Games.
Family has been at the heart of Atkin’s journey. Born in Boston to a British father, Mike Atkin, and a Malaysian mother, Zoe grew up in Massachusetts before moving west to support her sister’s ski career. Her eligibility for Team GB traces back to her father’s roots in Solihull, Birmingham. Mike Atkin, speaking to the BBC, expressed immense pride: he and the family had always encouraged Zoe to focus on her own performance, not external expectations. "Their advice has always been simple—focus on delivering a run she can feel proud of rather than worrying about expectations," he said.
Having her family present in Livigno made the experience even sweeter. The Atkins, unable to attend the 2022 Beijing Games due to restrictions, were out in force, cheering Zoe on. "It’s a real full-circle moment because she was here supporting me, and I was there when she won her bronze medal, so it’s really special," Zoe explained. Izzy, now in the role of supportive sibling, was effusive in her praise: "I know how much time and effort and grit and hard work she’s put into it, and to see her do a run I know she’s proud of was incredible. It’s a full-circle moment. She supported me in 2018 and now it’s awesome that we get to do this together."
The bonds of sisterhood and the weight of legacy were never far from Zoe’s mind. "Obviously I wanted to one-up her a bit but it’s really special that we both have the bronze," she joked to BBC Sport. Their mother, proud and beaming, claimed the rare distinction of being the first parent to have two Olympic medallists for Great Britain in the family.
For Eileen Gu, the day was another chapter in her remarkable career. By winning gold in Livigno, she matched her three-medal haul from Beijing 2022, bringing her total to six career Olympic medals. "I’m the most decorated freeskier of all time, male or female. I have the most gold medals ever, male or female. That’s a testament to competitive strength, it’s mental strength. It’s being able to perform under pressure," Gu declared, according to BBC Sport. Her journey in Italy wasn’t without controversy—she reportedly brought 21 pairs of skis and clashed with organizers over training accommodations—but her dominance on the pipe was never in doubt.
As the snow settled on Livigno, Zoe Atkin’s bronze became a symbol of perseverance and family pride. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be remembered as the Games where Britain’s skiing dynasty took center stage—where a little sister, inspired by her sibling’s triumph, found her own place in Olympic lore. For Atkin and Team GB, the celebration is well earned, and the story is far from over. The next chapter? Only time—and perhaps another Atkin—will tell.