2026 winter olympics freestyle skiing: Winter storm warning postpones Eileen Gu final gold chance in women’s halfpipe at Milan Cortina

The women’s freeski halfpipe final at the Winter Olympics 2026 will have to wait one more day. Officials at the Milan Cortina Games postponed the event on Saturday after a blizzard storm warning continued into the evening and made the halfpipe unsafe. The final was supposed to start at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time, but organizers pushed it to Sunday at 10:40 a.m. ET instead.

Safety came first. The snow kept falling, and the pipe could not be prepared in time for fair competition. With visibility low and the surface unstable, the jury decided it was better to delay the medal round.




This final carries extra weight. It is the last event in women’s freeskiing at these Games. More importantly, it is the final chance for Eileen Gu to leave Italy with a gold medal.

Eileen Gu, who was born in the United States and represents China, has already won two silver medals here in slopestyle and big air. Now, all eyes turn to the halfpipe, the event she loves most.

2026 winter olympics freestyle skiing: Eileen Gu faces Zoe Atkin, Kate Gray and Svea Irving in delayed women’s freeski halfpipe final at Milan Cortina

For Eileen Gu, this moment feels familiar. Four years ago at the Beijing Olympics, she won gold in the halfpipe. It has always been her strongest event. She moves with confidence in the pipe, linking tricks smoothly and landing clean runs under pressure. That history is why many still see her as the favorite, even after two silver medals this week.

But this final will not be easy. The 12-skier field includes two Americans, Kate Gray and Svea Irving, both capable of strong, technical runs. Still, one of the biggest challenges to Gu may come from someone with a similar background.

Zoe Atkin was born in Massachusetts while her parents were working in the United States. Her mother is from Malaysia and her father is from England. She competes for Great Britain. Last year, Zoe Atkin won gold at the FIS Freestyle World Championships, making her one of the strongest riders entering this Olympic final.

There is another interesting link between the two rivals. Both Eileen Gu and Zoe Atkin attend Stanford University. Now, they meet again on the biggest stage in winter sports.

With the blizzard storm warning finally expected to clear, the focus shifts back to performance. The halfpipe final on Sunday will decide the last freeski medal of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics 2026, and whether Eileen Gu adds another gold to her Olympic story.

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