The Winter Olympics 2026 has been a thrilling journey so far, with Team GB's Kirsty Muir leaving us on the edge of our seats. Heartbreak and glory intertwine in the world of sports, and Muir's story is a testament to that.
In the freestyle skiing big air event, Kirsty Muir, a young and talented athlete, narrowly missed out on a medal for Team GB, finishing in fourth place for the second time at these Games. Her combined score of 174.75 points from her best two runs was just 3.5 points shy of the Italian bronze medalist, Flora Tabanelli. This disappointment came exactly a week after she missed slopestyle bronze by a mere 0.41 points.
The competition was fierce, with Canada's Megan Oldham taking home the gold, and China's Eileen Gu, the defending champion, settling for silver. Gu's presence added an extra layer of excitement, as she competed in big air for the first time since her Olympic triumph four years ago.
"I gave it my all, and I'm proud of myself for attempting those tricks, especially in that third run where I tried something new," Muir shared with BBC Sport. "I knew I had to go big, and even though I crashed, I'm still proud of my performance."
The final was not without its challenges. Delayed by over an hour due to a heavy blizzard at Livigno Snow Park, the competition also saw the withdrawal of Mathilde Gremaud, a strong medal favorite, due to injury. This seemed to create an opportunity for Muir, who had qualified in fourth for the final.
However, the first round proved to be an astonishing display of skill, with four skiers posting scores of 90.00 points or more, leaving Muir in seventh place. She responded with a powerful second run, scoring an impressive 93.00 with a 1620 trick, featuring four and a half rotations, which catapulted her into silver medal position. At that moment, Gu, already a silver medalist in slopestyle, was struggling, but she redeemed herself with her final jump, pushing Muir down to third.
The Chinese skier's celebration seemed premature, as several skiers were yet to perform, and Tabanelli's final jump of 94.25 points, the highest score of the night, almost snatched the silver medal away. This put immense pressure on Muir's final jump.
At the top of the big air structure, Muir took her time, discussing her options with her coach. She decided to attempt another 1620 trick with a different grab, but unfortunately, she couldn't land it. As she sat in the snow, her thoughts were likely filled with what could have been.
"I knew I had to give it my all to have a chance at that podium, and I'm glad I took that risk," she said.
This agonizing fourth-place finish marks Team GB's fifth such result at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, with time running out to reach the minimum target of five medals set by UK Sport before the Games. In addition to Muir's near-misses, snowboarder Mia Brookes, mixed doubles curlers Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds, and mixed team skeleton athletes Marcus Wyatt and Freya Tarbit, all finished in fourth place.
While hopes were high for Brookes in the slopestyle final and GB's curling teams, the road to the semi-finals looks challenging. However, all eyes are now on freestyle skier Zoe Atkin, the current halfpipe world champion, who begins her campaign on Thursday, with the final taking place on Saturday.
If Team GB reaches the target of five medals, they will equal their record haul from the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics. But even if they fall short, these Olympics have already been a success for the nation, with three gold medals won, a historic achievement for Team GB.
So, what do you think? Is this a successful Olympics for Team GB, or are you disappointed with the near-misses? Share your thoughts in the comments!
