Kirsty Muir advances to big air final as Eileen Gu finishes second despite fall in qualification at Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games
Updated 15/02/2026 at 00:25 GMT
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Great Britain will have another excellent chance at a medal when Kirsty Muir jumps for big air gold in Monday's final. She came through the qualification stage with relative ease on Saturday as reigning champion Eileen Gu also booked her spot in the gold medal event. Muir finished fourth overall. Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Muir stomps 'exemplary' double cork 1440 for 'fabulous' first big air run
Video credit: TNT Sports
Kirsty Muir qualified alongside Eileen Gu for the big air final at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games as Team GB hunt down their second medal in Italy.
Skiers had three qualification jumps at the Livigno Air Park on Saturday with their best two efforts combined and their lowest chalked off.
Muir, 21, scored an impressive 87.50 on her opening run before posting a handy 79 as she headed into the third and final run looking strong.
The Aberdeen-born star did not improve on her score but had done enough with an overall score of 166.50 to comfortably make the top 12 and advance.
"There's going to be a fire burning in that young lady's belly," TNT Sports analyst James Woods predicted after Muir's final qualification run.
"She's not going to like seeing that little No. 4 next to her name. She's got a monkey on her back right now."
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Muir breezes through big air qualification to set up slopestyle redemption
Video credit: TNT Sports
Muir will be up against two-time Olympic gold medallist and current big air champion Gu in the final at 18:30 UK time on Monday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
China's Gu began her title defence with a jump worth 86 but then fell on her second effort - where she lost a ski - to pile the pressure on her third and final chance.
But the slopestyle silver medallist answered in style, as the 22-year-old delivered an outstanding 84.75 points to secure her place in the final in second spot with an overall score of 170.75.
However, she was outdone by Canada's slopestyle bronze medallist Megan Oldham, who earned 171.75 points to lead the way.
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Gu refuses to play it safe and sticks 'exceptional' third run after crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Double slopestyle gold medallist Mathilde Gremaud - who claimed big air bronze in Beijing four years ago - qualified in third with a score of 169.00, while Finland's Anni Karava finished fifth behind Muir.
Flora Tabanelli, Naomi Urness, Lara Wolf, Mengting Liu, Maria Gasslitter and Kateryna Kotsar will join the top five in the final, while there was a dramatic finish for the 12th and final qualification spot.
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Grace Henderson - the final skier down the ramp - was the only person able to knock 12th-place Anouk Andraska of Switzerland out of the qualifying positions.
But the American heartbreakingly fell to spell the end of her Olympic dream as Andraska's route to the final was confirmed.
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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