Winter Olympics event suspended and Team GB star may win gold medal by default | Other | Sport
A snowstorm in Livigno means Team GB‘s Zoe Atkin could be handed a gold medal at the Winter Olympics by default. The women’s freeski halfpipe final was postponed until Sunday due to heavy snow. The final three runs were scheduled for Saturday night (7.30pm local time) and represent the last event in the town in the Italian Alps. But organisers eventually decided at 4.20pm UK time that the event should be reorganised for Sunday – the final day of the Milan-Cortina Games.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) said in a statement: “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.” The start time is set for 9.40am UK but organisers face an unenviable situation if the weather continues to cause problems. Because Sunday is the final day of the Olympics, all events must be concluded tomorrow and cannot be delayed until Monday. The freeski halfpipe will also need to be finished before athletes arrive in Verona for the Closing Ceremony (7pm UK).
And if officials are unable to complete the event, the medals would be awarded in the qualification order. Atkin was born in Massachusetts, United States but has dual citizenship through her English father and has competed for Great Britain throughout her career. The 23-year-old qualified with 91.50 points, the best result of all 21 women competing, and would therefore get gold.
Atkin is the world champion in this discipline after her success in Switzerland last March. But the US-based Brit will be hoping the freeski halfpipe final goes ahead so she can earn gold without controversy. And she will make history if she ends up top of the podium because Britain has never won an Olympic gold in a skiing event.
Reigning X Games champion Atkin finished ninth in Beijing 2022, which was her debut Games. She is Britain’s last hope of a snowsport medal following a mixed few weeks for the country in Livigno. Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale delivered Team GB’s first-ever gold in snowsport with their triumph in the mixed snowboard cross, but elsewhere there has been a series of near misses.
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Should the medals go by qualifying, Cassie Sharpe would get bronze despite the Canadian being stretchered off the pipe and taken to hospital after a heavy crash. The 33-year-old, who already has two Olympic medals in the halfpipe to her name, had not planned to compete in the final after smacking into the ice on her second run.
Defending champion Eileen Gu would miss out on a medal if the final is not completed. The 22-year-old, who represents China, is the most decorated female Olympic freestyle skier in history with five medals to her name, including two silvers at these Games, and won gold in this discipline in Beijing four years ago. Gu wrote on her Instagram story: “Halfpipe finals postponed to tomorrow morning due to weather :'(.”
