Muir endures cruelest finish at Olympics for 2nd time as she ends up 4th in big air

By: Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press Posted: 4:06 PM CST Monday, Feb. 16, 2026

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Kirsty Muir endured the cruelest finish in the Olympics — not once, but twice.

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This article was published 16/02/2026 (200 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Kirsty Muir endured the cruelest finish in the Olympics — not once, but twice.

The British freeskier finished fourth in big air on Monday night at the Milan Cortina Games, the second time she ended up one spot away from the podium and so close, yet so far from celebrating.

The 21-year-old Muir was in bronze-medal position until Italy’s Flora Tabanelli, who tore an ACL four months ago, moved ahead and into third place with her third and final jump.

Britain's Kirsty Muir reacts after crashing during the women's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Muir had one last attempt to try to get into the top three spots, but she crashed while trying new grab she had never executed before as she went for a big score. Canada’s Megan Oldham won gold, Eileen Gu took silver and Tabanelli got the bronze.

One week earlier, Muir finished the slopestyle in fourth — and in tears.

“It’s just a bittersweet feeling,” Muir said Monday, her eyes welling yet again.

“I’m so stoked with how I skied tonight. I put it all on the line,” she said. “In the third jump I went for it, and I can’t be mad about that. Obviously it’s a bit of a nasty position again to be in fourth, but I really do feel proud of my skiing.”

Reflecting on what she has learned, Muir said, “I can only control what I do on the day.”

Britain's Kirsty Muir crashes during the women's freestyle skiing big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

“I can ski as best as I can ski. I can’t control what the other girls can do, and in the moment they had better tricks on the day,” she said. “Someone always has to be fourth.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics