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E-mail Xinhua, March 30, 2025
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Zoe Atkin of Britain clinched gold in the women's halfpipe at the 2025 FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships, edging China's Li Fanghui by 0.5 points in a thrilling final Sunday.
Despite a fall in her first run, Atkin rebounded with a stellar second-run performance, scoring 93.50 points to secure victory.
Li, who led qualifying and topped the final's opening run (90.25 points), seemed poised for gold. But Atkin's flawless second run pressured Li, whose near-perfect reply earned 93.00 points - 0.5 short of gold.
Canada's Cassie Sharpe took bronze with 88 points.
Atkin's win capped a season where she and Li tied for the World Cup Crystal Globe. "In the first round, I focused on performing steadily, and in the second round, I planned to give it my all. But I was still a bit nervous. On the last run, I didn't grab well, losing 0.5 points. That 0.5 points decided whether I would be second or first," Li said while breaking down in tears in the mixed zone.
China's freestyle skiing team also performed well, with four athletes making it to the women's halfpipe final. Teenager Chen Zihan, born in 2009, finished sixth, while Zhang Kexin placed seventh, and Liu Yishan took eighth. Enditem
