Key Highlights
- Kirsty Muir finishes fourth in big air, missing out on a medal by just 3.5 points.
- Muir’s performance comes a week after her slopestyle near-miss and marks her second Games appearance.
- Italy’s Flora Tabanelli wins bronze, while Canada’s Megan Oldham secures gold.
- The final was delayed due to heavy blizzard, affecting several skiers including Mathilde Gremaud.
Kirsty Muir: A Heartbreaking Near-Miss Again
Muir’s fourth-place finish in the big air competition at the Winter Olympics 2026 is another instance of Team GB falling just short. You might think this is new, but…
Exactly a week ago, she missed out on slopestyle bronze by a mere 0.41 points. This time around, it was 3.5 points that separated her from the podium.
The Delayed Final and Its Impact
The final of the big air event was delayed by over an hour due to a heavy blizzard at Livigno Snow Park. This delay opened up the field for Kirsty Muir, who had qualified in fourth place for the final. But it didn’t quite work out as planned.
Four skiers posted scores of 90.00 points or more in the first round, including Muir, who was seventh and needed to go big. She did just that with a 93.00 score from her 1620 trick, which catapulted her into silver medal position.
Pressure on Muir’s Final Jump
With the field having thinned out, the pressure was on Muir for her third and final jump. She took her time at the top of the big air structure, talking through her options with her coach. The decision to go for another 1620 trick resulted in a crash.
“When the scores came in for the other girls, I knew I had to give it something really, really good,” Muir said. “I’m still proud of myself.” Despite her efforts, she finished fourth yet again.
GB’s Ongoing Struggle at Winter Olympics 2026
Muir’s performance is part of Team GB’s fifth consecutive fourth-place finish in the medal table. The team had hoped to hit a minimum target of five medals set by UK Sport before the Games began.
The British contingent also includes Mia Brookes, Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds, Marcus Wyatt, and Freya Tarbit who are competing in various events. While there’s still hope with freestyle skier Zoe Atkin starting her campaign Thursday, Team GB faces an uphill battle to meet its medal targets.
So far, the British team has won three gold medals, a historic achievement considering their previous best of one medal per Games. But even if they don’t reach five, these Olympics should still be seen as a success for the nation.
