zoe atkin to drop into freeski halfpipe qualifiers in Milano Cortina as her father urges less pressure
Zoe Atkin, the reigning world champion in the freestyle halfpipe, takes to the pipe for the Winter Olympics freeski qualifiers on Thursday, Feb. 19. With a high-profile draw — she will compete the same day as friend and fellow freeski star Gus Kenworthy — Atkin arrives in Milano Cortina carrying recent podium form, a new sponsorship tie and a family message to keep perspective.
Family backing and a simple pre-run message
Atkin’s father has been vocal about keeping expectations modest and reminding his daughter to focus on the skiing rather than the pressure that comes with Olympic competition. He has urged her to "focus less and worry less, " encouraging a mindset of putting down runs she can be proud of rather than chasing outcomes. That steadying refrain sits alongside a family history tied to Britain — though Atkin was born in Boston, she holds British citizenship through her father, who is from the West Midlands.
That family connection has been a throughline in her public preparation: they have balanced the significance of national representation with the more immediate, performance-oriented goals of consistency and composure. Her father described her as nervous — an understandable reaction at a major Games — but emphasised that her recent form has been strong and that the focus remains on executing clean runs.
Training, recent results and Olympic scheduling
Atkin’s training build-up has blended extensive on-snow halfpipe sessions with targeted gym work, recovery and mental preparation. Typical weeks include multiple days in the pipe working on tricks and run consistency, supplemented by strength, balance and injury-prevention training, plus physio and visualisation to lock in run plans. That combination has helped produce some of her best results over the past 12 months.
She arrives at the Olympic venue as the current world champion after taking gold at the world championships in Switzerland. That status makes her one of the favourites, but recent calendar results also underline how tight the field is: last December she narrowly missed out on gold at a World Cup halfpipe event in China, taking silver. Those podium finishes contribute both confidence and the reminder that margins are small.
Her freeski halfpipe heat is scheduled to begin at about 1: 30 PM ET on Thursday, Feb. 19. That timetable places qualifiers in the middle of the day for East Coast viewers and gives Atkin a clear window to finalise run preparation and mental routines in the hours beforehand.
Friend goals, rivalries and commercial momentum
This week’s draw carries a lighter subplot: Atkin and Gus Kenworthy, a high-profile figure in freeskiing, are both slated to compete in freeski qualifications on the same day at Milano Cortina. Their presence together brings a narrative of friendship and mutual respect into the competition environment, offering Atkin familiar support in what can otherwise be an isolating Olympic moment.
Off the hill, Atkin has been expanding her commercial profile, joining a major athlete programme that celebrates competitors on the road to Milano Cortina. That partnership reflects her rising profile in the sport and comes at a moment when strong results would amplify both sporting and endorsement opportunities.
With a world title to her name, a recent World Cup silver, and a steady training routine focused on execution and recovery, Atkin will be aiming to channel family encouragement and years of preparation into clean, confident runs when she drops into the halfpipe on Thursday. The challenge is clear: translate elite training and composure into points on the scoreboard and earn a shot at the medals in the next round.
