X Games Gold for GB’s Zoe Atkin + 2 Bronze Medals for Kirsty Muir

26th January 2023 | Jane Peel, Chief Reporter

Last modified on February 2nd, 2023

The 20-year-old has claimed one of the biggest prizes in freestyle snowsports, a gold medal at the X Games, Aspen in Colorado. Less than 24 hours later, the British teenager Kirsty Muir won her second bronze medal of these X Games.

Zoe Atkin is on top of the world after winning the ski superpipe competition at the X Games.

She took the gold medal ahead of Rachael Karker and Svea Irving with silver and bronze respectively.

Zoe Atkin tops the ski superpipe podium at 2023 X Games Aspen. Image ©Jamie Schwaberow/X Games

She won the gold on her fourth and final run and was stunned.

“OMG, this is like the stuff you dream about but never really think will happen,” she said.

“Then coming down and seeing my name light up in green was just insane – I still can’t believe I actually won!

“This is the biggest event in action sports, and to compete against all these amazing ladies and take the win is such an honour.”

Zoe Atkin, gold in ski superpipe at 2023 X Games Aspen. Image ©Jamie Schwaberow/X Games

It was Zoe’s fourth appearance at an X Games but her first medal.

This is how she did it.

Zoe is a student at Stanford University in California but took the winter term off to focus on her skiing.

Zoe Atkin wins gold in ski superpipe at 2023 X Games Aspen. Image © Joshua Duplechian/X Games

She is the youngest sister of Izzy Atkin who won bronze for GB in ski slopestyle at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics an is a two-time silver medallist at the X Games (2018, 2021).

Zoe is already achieved success at World Cup level.

She topped the podium at the age of 16 in December 2019 and picked up a silver medal in March 2021.

She is also the 2021 World Championships bronze medallist.

But the X Games gold is a very special one.

Only a handful of the very best freestyle skiers and snowboarders are invited to the X Games.

Zoe Atkin wins ski superpipe at 2023 X Games Aspen. Image ©Joshua Duplechian/X Games

Reaction from PlanetSKI Readers

There has been plenty of comments, likes and reaction over on the PlanetSKI Facebook page:

David Maltby – You were absolutely awesome, well done you.

Amanda Yen – Cheers! even though you represent GB.

Simon Wilson – Congratulations and bloody well done Zoe…brilliant result

Pamela Henley – Congratulations

John Rapley – Well done Zoe thats brilliant!

Zoe’s medal comes 24 hours after 18-year-old Kirsty Muir from Aberdeen won her first ever X Games medal – a bronze in ski big air – and one day before Kirsty added a second bronze, this time in ski slopestyle.

Originally Kirsty appeared on the running order only for big air, but on Sunday she got her chance in slopestyle too.

She didn’t waste the opportunity, picking up another podium.

Megan Oldham won gold and Mathilde Gremaud silver.

Kirsty Muir (R) wins her 2nd bronze of the 2023 X Games Aspen in ski slopestyle. Image © Jamie Schwaberow/X Games

This was Kirsty’s second appearance at an X Games.

In 2022 she was invited along as an alternate and got to compete in the ski slopestyle after an injury to another athlete.

Then, she finished 5th.

Now, she’s hit the X Games big time with two bronze medals.

In the big air on Friday, she did it landing a new trick for the first time – a 1620.

“X Games bronze!!!! Insane level of skiing tonight from everyone!!” Kirsty said.

“So stoked to be a part of it!!! Landed my first ever 1620! Stoked to share the podium with Megan with the first women’s triple! and Tess Ledeux absolute legend! Best night ever!

“Thank you to everyone for all your support Dream come true.”

Kirsty Muir (right) bronze ski big air 2023 © Jamie Schwaberow X Games

Mia Brookes, who’s just turned 16 and was competing in her first X Games, finished an impressive 6th in the snowboard slopestyle.

In our preview of the event below, we looked at the talents of the two teenagers, Kirsty and Mia, GB’s newest snowsports superstars.

GB TEEN SKI & SNOWBOARD STARS AT X GAMES

They are two of Great Britain’s most exciting young snowsports talents and they are about to showcase their talents at the world’s most prestigious freestyle competition. Mia Brookes, who has just turned 16, and Kirsty Muir, 18, have been invited to the X Games, Aspen.

If you’ve seen them for yourself, you’ll know just how good these teenagers are.

If not, then their results will provide the answer.

Kirsty Muir, who’s from Aberdeen, made it onto the World Cup podium in ski slopestyle in March 2021 with a silver medal. She was 16.

Before that she was a Youth Olympics silver medallist in Big Air and a two-time Junior World Championships medallist.

She was the youngest Team GB athlete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and made the finals in both slopestyle and big air.

Kirsty Muir, Ski Big Air 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics – photo © Team GB/Sam Mellish

This season, she’s been in the top 10 in all three of her World Cup competitions.

She is now a Red Bull sponsored athlete, something very, very few achieve in their careers.

Kirsty Muir. Image © Jamie Matthew

She recently made the cover of the UK edition of Red Bull’s magazine, The Red Bulletin.

They called her the ‘Fresh Princess of Big Air’.

Kirsty Muir competing this season. Image © Ben Kinnear

Mia Brookes has exploded onto the elite snowsports scene this year.

A couple of days after celebrating her 16th birthday earlier this month, she came second in the snowboard slopestyle World Cup in Laax, Switzerland.

Ryding & Brookes Take Silver for GB at Kitzbühel & Laax

Podium full of emotions 🥹🤩
First @fissnowboard World Cup podium at only 16!!!🥈
Congratulations @Mia_brookes 🇬🇧💪#gbsnowsport pic.twitter.com/XdWPrR39Fn
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) January 22, 2023

Mia was too young to compete at the Beijing Olympics and made her debut in the World Cup this season.

Laax was only her third World Cup competition.

In the other two she came 5th and 9th.

In March 2022 at the Junior World Championships Mia won in big air and came second in slopestyle.

Last season she was the FIS Europa Cup overall champion (one level down from the World Cup) and took the World Rookie Tour title.

The X Games is a limited, invitation-only event and getting an invite is seen as a great honour granted to only the very best.

When Mia got the call-up for her X Games debut, she was still only 15 but had impressed the organisers by stomping a CAB 1260 at The Nines in April 2022.

It will be Kirsty’s second consecutive year at the X Games.

Last season, she was invited as an alternate – a reserve to sit on the subs bench ready to go into action if someone dropped out.

She got her opportunity when Giulia Tanno was injured in practice.

She finished 5th in ski slopestyle.

At PlanetSKI we would like to say we ‘discovered’ Kirsty and Mia years ago but, of course, it’s the GB park & pipe crew who get the credit for that.

We were, however, well aware of their talent from our regular visits to the BRITS – the British Snowboard & Freeski Championships – where Kirsty and Mia were winning at the expense of older, more experienced competitors.

In 2018, when Mia was 11 and Kirsty 13, we spoke to them, their parents and their coaches at the BRITS.

Two of the Best

Soon after we spoke to them, Kirsty was awarded the Spirit of Sarah Scholarship, in memory of the late Sarah Burke, giving her a place at a summer training camp in Whistler, Canada.

She reported for PlanetSKI on the experience:

We can’t wait to see what Kirsty and Mia can do at the X Games 2023 and beyond.

Kirsty competes in ski big air. Mia goes in snowboard slopestyle.

Both are real prospects for the podium.

We should also mention the third British athlete to be invited to the X Games.

Zoe Atkin is on the start list for the women’s ski superpipe.

The 20-year-old is a relative veteran, having appeared at three X Games, making the top 5 in all of them.

Good luck to them all.

The 2023 X Games Aspen begin on Friday 24th January.

More information, including the schedule and how to watch can be found on the X Games website.

Meanwhile, there have been lots of medals for GB athletes in the past week.

Check out January’s Ski News in Brief for more news.