Teenage snowboarder Mia Brookes came agonisingly close to an Olympic medal in the women's big air final, finishing fourth after attempting a backside 1620 – a trick she had never tried on snow before. The 19-year-old, who had qualified in fourth place, opted for the high-risk manoeuvre on her final run, hoping to secure a podium spot. She landed on her heels after overspinning, leaving her just outside the medals.
“I’ve only ever done it on the airbag and the last time I tried it was five months ago,” Brookes said. “But sometimes you’ve just got to grit your teeth and get it done. I thought I’d got it... I just gave it too much power.” Japan’s Kokomo Murase took gold, with New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott silver and South Korea’s Yu Seung-eun bronze.
Brookes’s near-miss was part of a difficult day for Team GB. Kirsty Muir missed a slopestyle medal by 0.41 of a point, while mixed curlers Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds lost their semi-final 9-3 to Sweden after a poor performance. Ice dancers Lewis Gibson and Lilah Fear also sit fourth after the rhythm dance. All will have chances for redemption in the coming days.
