Zoe Atkin Urged to 'Focus Less' by Proud Father as She Prepares for Thursday Heat

British freeski halfpipe star Zoe Atkin arrives at a high-stakes moment in her career as she prepares to take part in her Olympic heat on Thursday — a day that will also see top men's halfpipe names chase qualification. Her father has publicly urged her to ease the pressure and concentrate on skiing she can be proud of as the Olympic rhythm tightens.

Father's plea, pedigree and recent form

Atkin's father has been candid about his hopes for his daughter ahead of the women's freeski halfpipe competition, urging her to "focus less and worry less" about mounting expectations. The appeal reflects a wider family emphasis on keeping expectations measured: the message has been simple — "just ski well; try and put down a run you can be proud of. "

Born in Boston but competing for Great Britain through her father's Solihull roots, Atkin enters the Games carrying recent pedigree. She is the current world champion in the freestyle halfpipe, having won gold at the world championships in Switzerland, and she has posted strong results over the past 12 months. Last December she narrowly missed out on the top step at a World Cup halfpipe event in China, taking home silver — a reminder that she is consistently mixing it with the sport's best.

Her Olympic heat is scheduled to begin at about 6: 30 p. m. GMT on Thursday, which is 1: 30 p. m. ET. With that run time set, the immediate goal is clear: translate her recent momentum into a clean, confident performance on the sport's biggest stage.

Thursday's busy qualifying slate: men's stars in the mix

Thursday is a packed day for pipe skiing in northern Italy, where men's halfpipe qualifiers are also set to take place. Among those chasing a final berth is Aspen veteran Alex Ferreira, who arrives with a very explicit objective: complete his Olympic medal set. Ferreira won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022 and is viewed as one of the favorites as he seeks gold in Friday's final.

Ferreira has spoken openly about the rarity and pressure of the Olympic chance, calling it a moment that must be seized. The qualifiers for the men's halfpipe are slated for Thursday, with the final scheduled for Friday in Livigno. That timeline places Ferreira and Atkin on adjacent days of action, each confronting their own version of Olympic pressure: Atkin in her heat on Thursday afternoon ET and Ferreira pushing through qualifiers with a shot at the Friday final.

The overlap of marquee events heightens the narrative: two halfpipe standouts, both with clear objectives and recent elite results, navigating the same Olympic window. Ferreira's presence raises the profile of the men's field — he and several teammates are regarded as legitimate medal threats — while Atkin's world title and recent World Cup silver signal she belongs among the contenders on the women's side.

What to watch and why it matters

For Atkin, the storyline centers on composure and execution. Her father’s public reminders about managing nerves and keeping expectations modest are meant to free her to focus on what she controls: technique, amplitude and landing clean. If she can put down a run that mirrors the form that won her the world title, she will be in strong contention for a podium appearance.

For Ferreira, the calculus is slightly different but no less intense. His search for gold would complete a career-spanning medal collection and potentially cement his place among the sport's elite. Both athletes are reminders that the halfpipe — men's or women's — demands precision under pressure, and Thursday into Friday will be decisive in separating those who thrive on the stage from those who merely reach it.

As the day unfolds, the focus will be on clean runs, bold tricks and the ability to channel pressure into performance — exactly the mix both athletes have been working toward in recent seasons.