The women’s half-pipe final at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has been postponed until Sunday after a snowstorm swept through Livigno, the venue for snowsport events. Saturday’s final was initially delayed by an hour and a half due to heavy snowfall that blanketed the half-pipe and reduced visibility, making conditions unsafe for competition.
Organisers later decided to push the event back by a day, with the rescheduled final likely to take place on Sunday morning, the final day of the Games. The delay comes as a blow to athletes and fans, but safety concerns were paramount.
Team GB’s Zoe Atkin is among the favourites to win gold, aiming to improve on her ninth-place finish from Beijing 2022. The 23-year-old produced a standout first run in Thursday’s qualifying, scoring 91.50 to top the standings. China’s Li Fanghui was second with 90.00, while defending champion Eileen Gu qualified in fifth place after a mistake on her first run.
Atkin is the reigning X Games champion and world champion, and represents Britain’s last snowsport medal hope at these Games. Britain has had a mixed Games in Livigno, with freeskier Kirsty Muir finishing fourth in both the Big Air and slopestyle events, and Mia Brookes also taking fourth in the snowboard Big Air. Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale secured Britain’s first-ever snowsport gold in the mixed snowboard cross last week.
Gu, a five-time Olympic medallist, has been off form throughout the Games but has managed to secure medals in both slopestyle and Big Air. The postponement gives all competitors an extra day to prepare for what promises to be a thrilling final.
