Parkite Zoe Atkin wins World Championships ski halfpipe in Switzerland

St. Moritz, where Atkin competed and won. Photo: Matt Foster

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland — Zoe Atkin, 22, won first place in the freeski halfpipe at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships in Switzerland.

Although the 2022 Olympian Atkins represents her father’s native nation of Great Britain in global competition, the American athlete lives and trains in Park City. 

 

 

 

 

 

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“I have put a lot of work in this season. I tried to put my new trick in there. I had a lot of mental blocks, so really proud of myself for working through that.” Atkin said to the BBC, “Then to be able to land it on my second run, with all the pressure on, and become world champion. Oh my god, this means so much to me, I’m so excited.”

She unfortunately had a fall at the end of her opening attempt in but wowed the judges when the pressure was on to score 93.50 on her second run. She beat China’s Li Fanghui by just 0.5, while Canada’s Cassie Sharpe claimed bronze with 88.00.

Atkin ends this seaon as a whole on top as well, sharing the overall World Cup  women’s halpipe title with Li. 

“I feel amazing – I’m world champion,” Atkin added. “I’m going to go celebrate, I’m going to eat all the Swiss chocolate I have.”

“After getting a third and a second, this season I was like ‘you know what, I want to go for the gold’. In the last two years of World Championships, Atkin took home a bronze and a silver so now she’s got the complete set.