Kirsty Muir’s quest for an Olympic medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics came heartbreakingly close once again on February 14, as the 21-year-old freestyle skier finished fourth in the women’s big air final at Livigno Snow Park. Scoring a combined 174.75 points from her best two runs, Muir missed bronze by just 3.5 points behind Italy’s Flora Tabanelli. This result follows her agonising fourth-place finish in slopestyle exactly one week earlier—where she was denied by a mere 0.41 points—highlighting both her talent and the razor-thin margins that define elite competition.
The Final’s Intense Battle
The big air final, delayed over an hour by a heavy blizzard, unfolded with extraordinary drama. Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland withdrew last-minute through injury, opening the field slightly for contenders. Yet the competition remained fierce: four skiers posted 90+ scores in the first round alone, pushing Muir into seventh place early.
She responded with a stunning second run, landing a 1620 trick featuring four and a half rotations for 93.00 points—the highest of that round—vaulting her into silver-medal position temporarily. China’s Eileen Gu, already a slopestyle silver medallist at these Games and the world’s fourth-highest-paid female athlete in 2025, struggled initially but surged with a strong final jump to claim silver.
Tabanelli’s 94.25 in the last attempt—the night’s highest score—pushed Muir to fourth. The 21-year-old attempted another 1620 with a different grab on her final jump but couldn’t land it, leaving her visibly crestfallen as she sat on the snow.
“I’m really proud of myself for putting the two tricks down,” Muir told BBC Sport. “I had to go for it… I’m stoked that I tried that.” She acknowledged the need to process the disappointment before resetting for future events.
Medal Results – Women’s Big Air Final
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Combined Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Megan Oldham | Canada | Highest | Gold |
| 2 | Eileen Gu | China | Close 2nd | Silver; strong final jump |
| 3 | Flora Tabanelli | Italy | 94.25 (final) | Bronze; night’s highest single run |
| 4 | Kirsty Muir | Great Britain | 174.75 | 93.00 in run 2; fell on final attempt |
Muir’s Journey and Resilience
Competing in her second Olympics, Muir has shown remarkable growth. In Beijing 2022, at 17, she finished fifth in big air and eighth in slopestyle. Post-Games, she faced a major setback: a December 2023 MRI revealed a fully torn ACL—competed with unknowingly—plus shoulder surgery in early 2024.
Eleven months later, she returned triumphantly: maiden World Cup gold in Tignes (March 2025), followed by two more this season, plus X Games slopestyle gold and big air silver immediately pre-Olympics.
Her Livigno performance—despite the near-miss—demonstrates recovery and courage. “I just had to go for it,” she said, embracing risk even knowing the stakes.
Team GB’s Medal Near-Misses at Milano Cortina 2026
Muir’s result adds to a pattern of fourth-place finishes for Britain at these Games:
- Kirsty Muir: fourth in slopestyle and big air
- Mia Brookes: fourth in snowboard big air
- Bruce Mouat & Jen Dodds: fourth in mixed doubles curling
- Marcus Wyatt & Freya Tarbit: fourth in mixed team skeleton
These near-misses contrast with historic successes: three golds—Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes in mixed team snowboard cross, plus Matt Weston’s double in skeleton—marking Britain’s highest Winter Olympics total ever.
High hopes remain for Zoe Atkin, current halfpipe world champion, whose qualifying begins Thursday, with the final on Saturday.
Looking Ahead
Muir’s disappointment is tempered by pride and perspective. “I’ve got at least a day to process,” she said. “I’ll accept it, find positives, and reset—big air is completely different.”
The big air final showcased women’s freestyle skiing’s depth and drama. For Team GB, Muir’s performances—two fourths by tiny margins—reflect both talent and the fine line between podium and heartbreak.
As Milano Cortina 2026 continues to February 22, Britain’s campaign blends breakthrough golds with near-misses, capturing the Olympic spirit: daring greatly, accepting outcomes, and pushing forward.
