Izzy Atkin became the first British woman to win slopestyle World Cup gold after an extraordinary performance in the final saw her take top spot in Silvaplana. The 18-year-old had qualified in fourth place heading into the Swiss showpiece, but pulled out all the stops to not only lead early on, but also hang on to her advantage to make history.
Scoring 88.40 in her first run, Atkin enjoyed a three-point lead at the halfway stage, with Sweden’s Emma Dalhstrom the only other competitor to score greater than 80, the perfect foundation for a podium bid for the British skier.
And despite only scoring 30.40 in her second run, a mammoth first-round score proved enough for the teenager to taste success on the slopes, a first podium and win in her 15 World Cup starts.
Dahlstrom and home favourite Mathildre Gremaud rounded off the top three, while the victorious Atkin’s fellow British competitors Katie Summerhayes and Madison Rowlands finished ninth and 11th respectively.
Victory in Silvaplana also gives Atkin 100 more World Cup points, moving to a discipline total of 182 – enough to go fourth in the overall standings, within 100 of leader Sarah Hoefflin.
"I am absolutely stoked with how I skied today," said history-maker Atkin. "The weather was perfect and the course was amazing. I couldn't be happier!
"I want to say a huge thanks to all the coaches, support staff, GB Park and Pipe and British Ski and Snowboard."
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Sportsbeat 2017