British freestyle skier Zoe Atkin put the cherry on a stellar season to claim a maiden world halfpipe title in Engadin, Switzerland on Sunday (30 March).
It was third time’s a charm for Atkin as she completed the set of medals at the Freestyle World Championships adding to the bronze she won in 2021 and the silver from 2023.
The 22-year-old showed nerves of steel as she fought her way from ninth place in the first run into the top spot with a superb second and final attempt.
Atkin could not complete her routine during the first round, with Li Fanghui of the People’s Republic of China taking the early lead courtesy of a top score of 90.25.
But the Briton brushed off the disappointment from the first run to throw down a winning routine to score 93.50.
The championships came to a fitting end with a tussle between the two top skiers this season, with Li relegated to second place before her final attempt.
Li, who shared the overall World Cup title with Atkin, made a valiant effort to reclaim the top spot but fell painstakingly short.
The Chinese ace improved with her second run, receiving a 93.00 from the judges to finish just 0.50 points behind Atkin. Cassie Sharpe of Canada finished in third place with a score of 88.00.
“This means everything to me! I got third (2021) and second (2023). This season I was like, ‘You know what? I want to go for the gold’. So I put a lot of work in this season to try my new trick in there,” Atkin told the FIS afterwards.
“To be able to land it on my second run with all the pressure on and to become the world champion means so much to me. I am so excited!”
