Winter Olympics 2026: Zoe Atkin qualifies top for freeski halfpipe final

Zoe Atkin led qualifying in the freeski halfpipe with a best score of 91.50 and will compete in Saturday's final; defending champion Eileen Gu qualified fifth after a fall.

Zoe Atkin qualified first in the freeski halfpipe qualifying at the 2026 Winter Olympics and will take part in the final on Saturday. The 23-year-old produced a top score of 91.50 on her opening run. Atkin is the reigning World Champion and a two-time X Games winner. She is the younger sister of Izzy Atkin, who won Great Britain's first Olympic skiing medal in 2018. Key details: - Zoe Atkin recorded a best run of 91.50 on her first qualifying run and finished top of the field. - Atkin is 23 years old, the current World Champion, and a two-time X Games champion. - China's defending champion Eileen Gu qualified fifth with a score of 86.50 after crashing on her first run. - The freeski halfpipe final is scheduled for Saturday. - Atkin told BBC Sport she was nervous before qualifying but managed those feelings and said the result gave her confidence for the final. Summary: Atkin's top qualifying score positions her strongly going into the Saturday final, where Olympic medals for the event will be decided. Several leading competitors, including the defending champion Eileen Gu, also advanced from qualifying.