Zoe Atkin Secures Bronze, Matching Team GB’s Winter Olympics Medal Record
Freestyle skier Zoe Atkin has made headlines by winning a bronze medal in the women’s halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics in Italy. This achievement has contributed to Team GB’s impressive medal tally, equaling their past records with a total of five medals during the Games.
Zoe Atkin’s Remarkable Performance
Atkin, who is 23 years old and holds dual UK-American citizenship, hails from Massachusetts. Prior to the Olympics, she showcased her talent by winning the superpipe competition at the Aspen X Games. Her journey in halfpipe skiing involves executing complex tricks on a U-shaped course made of hard-packed snow.
In the final, Atkin qualified with the best score but ultimately secured third place, trailing behind Eileen Gu and Li Fanghui, who won gold and silver, respectively. Atkin admitted feeling nervous before her final runs, yet she managed to elevate her performance as the event progressed.
“I’ve been working on my run for the past four years and being on the podium means so much to me,” she stated after the competition.
Team GB’s Historic Medal Count
The bronze medal won by Atkin contributes to a record-equalling total for Team GB, which includes:
- Three gold medals
- One silver medal in men’s curling
- Matching their previous tallies from 2014 and 2018
Team GB also recently made history with:
- Two gold medals in a single day, a first for any Winter Games.
- Golds won by Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale in mixed team snowboarding, and by Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker in mixed team skeleton.
Weston also won the men’s singles skeleton title, marking his second gold medal at these Games.
Men’s Curling Silver Medal
In the men’s curling event, Team GB, led by Bruce Mouat, secured a silver medal after a close final against Canada. This result mirrored their performance from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, where they also finished with silver.
The team, which included Bobby Lammie, Grant Hardie, Hammy McMillan, and Kyle Waddell, had aimed to win gold for the first time in 102 years but faced challenges in the final match.
Reflecting on a Historic Winter Olympics
Dr. Kate Baker, Director of Performance at UK Sport, praised Team GB’s outstanding achievements. “This has been an historic Games for Team GB. We’ve never had more than one gold medal at a Games before, so to come home with multiple is brilliant,” she remarked.
As the Winter Olympics draw to a close, Norway leads the medal table with 18 golds, followed by the USA with 11 and the Netherlands with 10. Italy ranks fourth, with Germany and France following close behind.
