Kirsty Muir backed to glitter on Winter Olympic stage by freestyle snowboarding legend
Aberdeen ace Muir, 21, will compete at her second Games in Milan-Cortina bidding to improve on her impressive debut in Beijing four years ago
Kirsty Muir is back in the swing of things(Image: Getty Images)
Kirsty Muir can capitalise on her discipline’s ‘uncertainty’ and soar to a stunning Winter Olympic gold, reckons French freestyle skiing legend Kevin Rolland.
Aberdeen ace Muir, 21, will compete at her second Games in Milan-Cortina bidding to improve on her impressive debut in Beijing four years ago.
Just 17 at the time, the precocious Scot tricked and flipped her way to fifth and eighth-place finishes in the big air and slopestyle events as Chinese superstar Eileen Gu grabbed gold and silver.
Muir followed that up by claiming her maiden World Cup victory in Tignes before further triumphs in Secret Garden, China and Aspen last year.
She also clinched X Games gold last month and Rolland, a former freestyle world champion and Olympic bronze medallist at Sochi 2014, believes she has what it takes to mix it with the big guns in Italy next week.
“Kirsty has been doing well in the World Cup events – so for sure she can definitely get a medal if she skis well,” said Rolland, who is working for TNT Sports across its live coverage of the Games.
“Slopestyle is a bit more uncertain than halfpipe because it’s difficult to be consistent – so you never know.
“But when you say you never know, it means she could get a gold medal. It’s going to be really cool to see it unfold.”
Muir’s freestyle skiing events will take place in Livigno, located in the north of Italy and one of six host clusters spread out across over 20,000 square miles.
She is one of 16 Scots descending on the Dolomites across four different sports – curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing and cross-country – in Team GB’s 53-strong delegation, with Bruce Mouat also hotly-tipped for a medal.
Rolland, a five-time X Games gold medallist and French flagbearer in Beijing four years ago, will be based in Livigno running the rule on all the freestyle action.
He added: “I’m so excited to be here – the set-up looks crazy. Being the flagbearer was really emotional and really something special for me.
“It’s so exciting to be able to be here and enjoy it – it’s great to introduce freestyle sports to new people and help share those special moments.”
TNT Sports on discovery+ will be the go-to destination in the U.K to watch everything of Milano Cortina 2026 live all in one place, with over 850 hours of action from every sport, venue, and medal event.
