Team GB's Kirsty Muir was left in tears after narrowly missing out on a medal in the women's freeski slopestyle final at the Winter Olympics, finishing fourth by just 0.41 points. The 21-year-old, who won the X Games event two weeks ago, struggled to process the result, telling reporters: 'I'm obviously a bit sad – it's a tough place to be, fourth.'
Muir entered the final as a strong medal contender after qualifying third, but a fall on her first run and a minor mistake on her second left her needing a strong final run. She scored 76.05, just behind Canada's Megan Oldham's 76.46, who took bronze. Switzerland's Mathilde Gremaud defended her title with 86.96, while China's Eileen Gu took silver with 86.48.
'I had a bit of difficulty in the first two runs,' Muir said. 'On the second jump, I was trying for a mute grab to give me extra boost, and today it slipped away from me.' She added that she was proud of herself for pulling it together for the final run, landing a huge double cork 1440, but the judges' score left her heartbroken.
Muir's family were there to console her, though she admitted their hugs were 'a bit too tight' as she felt claustrophobic. She will now compete in the big air event next week, where she finished fifth in Beijing. 'It feels completely different from 2022,' she said, recalling her fifth-place finish as a 17-year-old. 'I've got a lot to process.'
Oldham, meanwhile, described her bronze as 'crazy', having suffered a concussion two months ago. The contrast between the two athletes' emotions highlighted the fine margins at the Olympics.
