Zoe Atkin, world champion, embraces fear as she aims for Olympic title

Zoe Atkin, the reigning freeski halfpipe world champion and top qualifier, says she has learned to accept fear while preparing to compete against defending champion Eileen Gu in the Olympic final.

Zoe Atkin is the reigning world champion in the freeski halfpipe and the top qualifier for Saturday's Olympic final, which will pair her with defending champion Eileen Gu. She says fear has been a constant part of her career, but she has learned to embrace that feeling rather than trying to eliminate it. Atkin has worked with sports psychologists since 2021 and studies symbolic systems at Stanford, where classes on mindset influenced her approach. She combines mental tools like mindfulness and cognitive reframing with repeated technical practice. Key details: - Atkin is 23 years old and was born in Massachusetts to a British father and a Malaysian mother. - She is a two-time X Games winner and the reigning world champion, and recorded three World Cup podium finishes in the 2024–25 season. - She has worked with sports psychologists since 2021 and reports speaking with her current psychologist about once every two weeks. - Atkin experienced a mental block on a new trick, stepped away from it, retrained the move in camp, and later landed it while winning the 2025 World Championships. - She qualified top for the Olympic freeski halfpipe final and says she feels mentally strong going into the Games. Summary: Atkin frames fear as a natural, manageable sensation and uses mindfulness, psychological work, and deliberate practice to perform under pressure. As the reigning world champion and top qualifier, she will compete against Eileen Gu in the freeski halfpipe Olympic final on Saturday, where her preparation and mindset will be evident.