Gus Kenworthy and British viewers face a weather-forced shuffle as Zoe Atkin leads freeski halfpipe qualifying

Why this matters now: British fans have two storylines to track — Zoe Atkin's confidence-boosting top qualification and a weather-driven delay that pushes men's halfpipe qualifying, where gus kenworthy is entered, into Friday morning. The shift compresses preparation windows and changes viewing timing for supporters following Great Britain's skiers at Milano Cortina.

Gus Kenworthy named among athletes affected by the schedule change

Heavy snow at Livigno forced organisers to postpone the men's halfpipe qualifiers, creating a ripple effect for athletes and viewers. The men's session will now run on Friday morning from 09: 30 GMT, and British interest now includes gus kenworthy and Liam Richards in that rescheduled slot. For fans planning to follow Team GB, the change means an earlier start and a tighter turnaround between observation and strategy for athletes who watched the women's qualifiers unfold.

• Zoe Atkin qualified top for the women's freeski halfpipe final with a best score of 91. 50 on her first run, which places her last into the Saturday final at 18: 30 GMT.
• Eileen Gu, after crashing on her first run, recovered enough to qualify fifth with 86. 50.
• Canada's Cassie Sharpe initially qualified third but suffered a heavy crash on her second run and was taken away on a stretcher.
• Men's halfpipe qualifying was postponed because of heavy snow and is now set for Friday morning at 09: 30 GMT, featuring gus kenworthy and Liam Richards competing for Great Britain.

Here's the part that matters for viewers and team staff: the postponement changes not just the clock time but the rhythm of competition days — athletes who had built plans around the original schedule must adapt quickly, and broadcasters and fans need to shift when they tune in.

Event details (embedded): Zoe Atkin — a 23-year-old reigning world champion and two-time X Games winner — delivered an assured opening run that earned a 91. 50 and the top qualifying spot. Because she qualified first, she will drop last into Saturday's best-of-three final at 18: 30 GMT, a positional advantage that allows her to observe competitors before her final attempts. Eileen Gu, the defending champion in the field, clipped the pipe on her opening run but returned to secure fifth place with an 86. 50. Cassie Sharpe, a former Olympic champion and recent silver medallist, qualified third on her first run but was injured on her second and removed on a stretcher.

Heavy snow throughout the day caused the men's qualifiers to be postponed; those runs are now scheduled for Friday morning from 09: 30 GMT. The rearranged timetable lists gus kenworthy and Liam Richards among the athletes competing in that session for Great Britain. The change shifts athlete warm-up, recovery and scouting windows ahead of the finals.

What’s easy to miss is how qualifying order affects strategy: athletes who secure top qualification slots can watch the field and fine-tune risk-reward choices, while those who qualify lower may face pressure to up their technical content in the final. Atkin's position — dropping last in the final — is therefore a tactical edge going into Saturday evening's medal contest.

If you're wondering why this keeps coming up, consider that snow-driven schedule changes have immediate consequences on training time and recovery; when sessions move earlier or later, athletes and coaches must rebalance sleep, warm-up and inspection plans on the fly.

• Timeline snapshot: qualifying day — Atkin tops the field; Saturday 18: 30 GMT — women's final with Atkin dropping last; Friday 09: 30 GMT — men's qualifiers rescheduled, featuring gus kenworthy and Liam Richards (schedule subject to change).

The real question now is how the postponement affects performances when the men take to the pipe and whether Atkin can convert qualifying dominance into Olympic gold. Recent developments indicate athlete preparations and viewing plans have already been adjusted; details may evolve as the revised schedule unfolds.