Zoe Atkin won a bronze medal in the women’s halfpipe event at the Winter Olympics, and the Team GB athlete gave an emotional interview after her podium finish
Zoe Atkin delivered a tearful interview after securing a bronze medal for Team GB at the Winter Olympics. Atkin claimed her place on the podium in the women’s halfpipe final on Sunday during the closing day of the games, which is taking place in Italy.
Atkin grabbed bronze with a 92.50 score, just behind Li Fanghui (93.00), who claimed silver for China. Eileen Gu secured gold for China after posting a score of 94.75, but it was Atkin who created history with her podium achievement.
The bronze medal for Atkin marks the first occasion that Team GB have claimed a medal in the halfpipe at the Winter Olympics, and lifts Britain’s medal count to five for this year’s Games.
Atkin also mirrors her sister, Isabel’s, success in claiming a bronze medal, with her sibling securing a podium spot in the women’s slopestyle at the 2018 Games in South Korea.
Following her podium achievement, Atkin delivered an emotional interview where she revealed the significance of claiming an Olympic medal, reports the Express.
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“I’m so happy,” Atkin began in an emotional interview with the BBC. “I mean I’ve been looking forward to this for at least the past four years and honestly, it was just so overwhelming coming here with the crowd and just knowing it was the Olympics – like so many emotions: I was so stressed out, I was crying.
“To put two runs down felt so good and the cherry on top, getting the Olympic podium, meant so much to me. I’ve literally dreamed about this moment since seeing my sister win her bronze in 2018.
“So to kind of back her up eight years later feels so good, have her supporting me is just full circle, I’m just so stoked.”
Atkin continued: “I definitely had a little bit of a strategy, I kind of chilled it a little bit on the first one just to put one down so I wouldn’t be nervous about having to put one down after a couple of falls.
“So I tried to step it up and I ended up falling on my second run. So I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to step it up a little bit but not like a huge amount’, and I was able to put down my third run just to step up a little bit the score.
“But there’s so many emotions, I’m so sorry. I look a mess, I’ve been crying – it’s just crazy. I’m so, so stoked.
“Obviously this [medal] means so much to me, but it truly is about the journey and how much I’ve learned training for this event and the athlete I’ve become.”
Atkin also revealed her future skiing ambitions, confirming that the 2030 Winter Olympics in France is already on her radar.
“Yeah, definitely. We’ve actually got two more events after this which is kind of crazy to think about after such a pinnacle event,” Atkin said.
“But yeah, just right now I think I’m really finding my flow with skiing more than I ever have and I’m really overcoming a lot of mental blocks and learning how to have a better mindset and be a better athlete.
“Maybe that’s the kind of thing I’m going to be taking with me into the next couple of years and hopefully next Olympics, but I’m going to enjoy this for now!”
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