Zoe Atkin Winter Olympics: How a halfpipe bronze reshaped Team GB’s medal story and a family legacy

Why this matters now: The zoe atkin winter olympics moment changed who celebrates first — her family, Team GB and a national program that has just equalled its best-ever Winter Games medal haul. Atkin’s bronze both completed a personal eight-year arc from watching her sister on the podium and pushed Great Britain to five medals in Milan–Cortina, while also reopening debate about scoring after a tight, widely admired final in Livigno.

Zoe Atkin Winter Olympics — immediate impact on family, Team GB and the halfpipe scene

Atkin’s podium places three groups at the center of the story: her immediate family (which now contains two Olympic medallists), Team GB’s winter program (which has matched its record total), and the judging conversation around women’s halfpipe. Her bronze converted an athlete’s long-held goal into a national milestone: Great Britain reached five medals at these Games, equalling the team’s best haul from 2014 and 2018 while registering its strongest run of golds at a single Winter Games.

How the women's halfpipe final unfolded

The final in Livigno produced tight scoring and dramatic airborne moments. Eileen Gu took gold with a score of 94. 75; Li Fanghui earned silver with 93. 00; Atkin finished third with 92. 50. Atkin had already guaranteed a medal before her final run and, with pressure eased, raised her mark to 92. 50 — half a point behind silver. Observers noted that Atkin reached around five metres of height on a run that at times exceeded the amplitude of other top competitors.

Atkin’s trajectory to Olympic bronze and identity details confirmed in competition

Atkin is 23 and this was her second Olympics. As a 15-year-old she watched her older sister Izzy win bronze in the Pyeongchang slopestyle, and that moment fueled her aim to reach an Olympic podium herself eight years later. She came into these Games fresh from winning the superpipe at the Aspen X Games last month and carrying the title of reigning world champion, determined to improve on a ninth-place finish in Beijing four years earlier. Born to a British father, she has held dual UK‑American citizenship since birth and is from Massachusetts. In the Olympic final she qualified first but was overtaken by Gu and Li in the medal-deciding runs. Halfpipe skiing, the discipline contested here, involves athletes performing tricks on a U-shaped course made of hard-packed snow.

• Team GB’s medal math: Atkin’s bronze was the fifth medal for Great Britain at Milan–Cortina — three golds and a silver had already been secured, producing a record-equalling total.
• Historic gold run: The team recorded multiple golds at these Games — a moment described as the country’s most successful Winter Olympics once a second gold in mixed team snowboard cross was secured a week earlier.
• Recent British golds included wins in mixed team snowboarding and mixed team skeleton; one of those mixed team skeleton golds also involved Matt Weston and Tabby Stoecker, with Weston later taking the men’s singles skeleton title.
• Team GB narrowly missed another gold when the men’s curling squad, led by Bruce Mouat, lost to Canada and took silver, repeating their Beijing result.

Reactions, controversy and the judging conversation

There was immediate debate about scoring. British team officials felt Atkin might have been harshly scored given the amplitude she showed on a late run; one senior figure suggested the minimum expectation was silver and expressed surprise at the outcome. Atkin’s coach acknowledged that judging is difficult, expressed happiness at the medal while noting he would not have been surprised had she finished higher, and called the final one of the greatest women’s halfpipe events witnessed.

Here’s the part that matters: the narrow margins — 94. 75, 93. 00 and 92. 50 — crystallize why reactions have focused on scoring rather than on the result alone.

What’s easy to miss is how personal this medal is: Atkin matched her sister Izzy’s 2018 bronze, and their mother has described being the parent of two Olympic medallists for Great Britain. Atkin herself said she was stressed and nervous but ultimately super stoked to be on the podium.

The real question now is whether this close final and the commentary around it will prompt sustained discussion about judging standards in the discipline; observers and officials have already signaled differing views.

Key takeaways:

• Atkin’s bronze elevated Team GB to five medals at Milan–Cortina, equalling past bests and marking the most successful run once multiple golds were secured.
• The result continues a family Olympic story: Izzy’s 2018 bronze was matched, creating a rare sibling pairing of GB ski medallists.
• Scoring margins were tiny; Atkin’s 92. 50 left her half a point shy of silver (93. 00) and 2. 25 behind gold (94. 75).
• Responses from team leaders and the coach underline both pride and unresolved questions about how runs were judged.

Timeline rewind: Atkin watched her sister win in Pyeongchang when she was 15; four years ago she finished ninth in Beijing; last month she won the Aspen X Games superpipe; this week she reached the Olympic podium in Livigno.

image information unavailable