Kirsty Muir: Team GB's youngest competitor full of surprises in Women's Big Air

Kirtsy Muir is Great Britain’s youngest competitor at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 but performed well beyond her experience in the freestyle skiing women’s big air.

It left her dad Jim and family in Scotland beaming with pride, along with her Team GB supporters.

The 17-year-old, who only made her world championship debut last year, caught plenty of attention in the star-studded event at Beijing 2022 which was eventually won by Eileen Gu, with silver to Tess Ledeux and bronze to Mathilde Gremaud.

Making her Winter Olympics debut, Muir was the talk of Team GB on Monday 8 February as she went big to qualify for the final, having scored an 89.25 on her first run, then a 67.00 on her second and 68.25 with her third.

"I was really happy after landing my dove 12 then went into the switch misty nine, landed it, second run. I just wanted to get a much better grab on the third run," she said after safely securing her passage to the final.

"Today was all about qualifying. I wanted to do my best skiing today, just as I wanted to be proud of how I skied. I wanted to try my best tricks."

The young Scottish star then went even bigger in the final the following day, scoring 90.25 with her first run.

After a 78.75 with her second run, Muir was in fifth place and needed a massive final jump to go ahead of then-leader Ledeux.

Despite nailing her trick in the air, she couldn’t stick the landing, crashing to finish in fifth.

At the bottom of the Big Air Shougang, with a smile almost as wide as the jumps themselves, Muir said: “Yeah I’m good, thank you” before making a love heart symbol with her hands, as she reflected on her efforts in the final.

Speaking to Scotland’s STV News, Muir’s dad Jim beamed with pride about his daughter.

"It was great, I mean… Kirsty will surprise you every time," he said.

"She was just so up for it and so determined to try and get on the podium.

"And that last jump, she’d never done that trick before in competition (and was) so close to landing it."

Speaking later to BBC Sport, Lausanne 2020 silver medallist Kirsty said the standard of the final was ‘insane’.

"It feels amazing [to be a part of it]. I couldn't have hoped to have skied better today and I'm so proud of all the girls," she said.

"I went for a switch misty 10 in the last jump which I've never tried before - I just wanted to go for it, and I'm just so happy that I went and tried it," she added.

Muir’s competition at Beijing 2022 continues on Sunday 13 February when she takes part in the women’s freeski slopestyle competition, which has historically been her best even on the international stage.

And then her plans after Beijing 2022?

"I've got a bit of studying to catch up, for sure," Muir said. "I'm focused on my next event and then it's back to school."

Keep up with all the action in our Live Blog updates throughout Beijing 2022, here.