Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin continued her strong World Cup form by winning silver at the freeski halfpipe World Cup event in China, narrowly missing out on the gold.
The 22-year-old delivered an excellent opening run in the final, scoring 90.25 to move into first place ahead of home favourite Eileen Gu of China, who managed 85.25 in her first attempt. Atkin’s run put her firmly in control heading into the second round, with expectations high of another victory.
However, Gu responded under pressure with a superb second run, earning a score of 91.75 to leapfrog Atkin and secure the win. Atkin was unable to improve on her opening score in her final attempt and had to settle for second place.
Despite missing out on gold, the result marked another significant milestone for Atkin. It was her 11th World Cup podium finish and her fourth consecutive podium appearance, underlining her consistency at the highest level of the sport. Last season, Atkin shared the overall women’s halfpipe World Cup title with China’s Li Fanghui.
The podium was completed by Australia’s Indra Brown, who impressed on her World Cup debut. The 15-year-old recorded a best score of 82.00 across her two runs to finish third and claim her first-ever World Cup podium.
Atkin’s latest performance further strengthens her position as one of the leading figures in women’s freeski halfpipe as the World Cup season continues.
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