Winter Olympics 2022: Favourite Eileen Gu tops freeski halfpipe qualification as GB’s Zoe Atkin reaches final in fourth
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Updated 17/02/2022 at 09:13 GMT
Eileen Gu won gold in the big air and silver in the slopestyle, so can she win another gold in the women’s freeski halfpipe? She could take some stopping, with the Chinese 18-year-old topping qualification with a 95.50. She has enjoyed a perfect World Cup season in the halfpipe, and is on course for a third medal at the Games. Zoe Atkin, making her Olympic debut, is a contender in fourth.
‘Incredible human being!’ – Gu ‘in a league of her own’ as she makes halfpipe final
Chinese superstar Eileen Gu outlined why she is the hot favourite for a second gold at Beijing 2022 when comfortably topping the women’s freeski qualifying, while Team GB’s Zoe Atkin is also a medal contender after reaching the final in fourth.
Gu, 18, has already won big air gold and slopestyle silver at these Winter Olympics, and she could take some stopping in the halfpipe final – which takes place on Friday from 1.30am GMT.
A score of 95.50 saw Gu top the standings, with Rachael Karker second and Olympic debutant Atkin safely through with an 86.75.
Team GB are yet to win a medal at these Games, and while the men’s curling team could guarantee at least silver if they win their semi-final on Thursday afternoon, Atkin could become the first Briton on the podium if she makes the top three in the early hours on Friday.
Twenty athletes went out knowing the top 12 would make the final, with the best score from two runs counting.
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‘Got to get those gains in’ – Gu munches on snack after Run 2 of slopestyle qualification
Some of the big guns were up early, with Hanna Faulhaber posting 84.25 before Rachael Karker - silver at world championships last year – went bigger with an 88.50.
Then it was the turn of Gu, who enjoyed a perfect World Cup season in the halfpipe by winning all four events heading into the Games – her season’s best a 97.50 – and she set the standard at the Genting Snow Park H & S Stadium with a 93.75.
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'Pressure has shifted to the judges!’ – Gu just misses out on gold after ‘hard’ decision
Reigning champion Cassie Sharpe then recorded an 86.25 in what was proving to be a high-quality qualifying round.
Atkin, bronze medallist at the world championships last year, put down a strong 85.25 on her first run, enough to slot in at fourth before recent X Games superpipe champion Kelly Sildaru went into third with an 87.50.
Come Run 2, Karker improved with an 89.50, solidifying her spot in second, before Gu then showed she is arguably in a league of her own when going even bigger with a 95.50.
Atkin matched Karker and Gu in improving her own score in the second run, with an 86.75 lifting her above Sharpe into fourth.
That’s where Atkin remained, with the spots behind Gu pretty tight as Kexin Zhang recorded an 86.50 to go fifth.
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Halfpipe qualification - Top 12
- GU Ailing Eileen – Best score 95.50
- KARKER Rachael - 89.50
- SILDARU Kelly - 87.50
- ATKIN Zoe - 86.75
- ZHANG Kexin - 86.50
- SHARPE Cassie - 86.25
- LI Fanghui - 84.75
- SIGOURNEY Brita - 84.50
- FAULHABER Hanna - 84.25
- MARGULIES Carly - 82.25
- FRASER Amy - 75.75
- CAKMAKLI Sabrina - 71.50
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