Team GB's youngest athlete Kirsty Muir goes back to school after "amazing" Beijing 2022 experience

At 17 years of age, Kirsty Muir was Great Britain's youngest competitor at Beijing 2022 and also among their most impressive performers.

The freestyle skier qualified for two finals on her Olympic Winter Games debut and has a bright career in front of her.

But for now, she will be returning to her normal life with decisions to make about her future.

Kirsty Muir's Beijing 2022 experience

Muir may not have come away from Beijing with a medal, but she came close in the Big Air competition with fifth place behind gold medallist Ailing Eileen Gu.

She told Olympics.com afterwards: "I had so much fun during the Big Air and I felt like I was really happy with the tricks I was doing and how I was doing them."

The young Scotswoman was less pleased with her performance in the slopestyle final where she finished eighth as Mathilde Gremaud took victory.

"I am disappointed. I didn’t ski to my best," she said. "I can’t blame anything, really. It was my skiing.”

Though Muir did add: “It’s been an amazing experience, and I’ve learned so much. It’s been awesome to ride with the girls."

Back to normality

Having returned home from the Games, Muir will now be going back to a life of more normality than the blistering nature of Beijing 2022.

Instead of the slopes, she'll be back at Bucksburn Academy on the outskirts of Aberdeen to finish her Highers.

“As soon as I get home, I should be in school,” she told PA. "I’ve just got to catch up!"

She added, "This is my last year in school. I’m thinking either a gap year or head to uni this year. If I take a gap year I’m just going to go and focus on skiing and then maybe go to uni as well alongside.”

Olympic figure skating champion Nathan Chen is an example of an athlete who has combined studies with training, should Muir wish to go down that road.

And once she's made her decision, thoughts may turn to Milano Cortina 2026 where she would be in with a genuine medal chance if she continues to improve.

Positive signs

While this is the biggest stage Muir has had the opportunity to perform on, there have already been positive signs in her fledgling career.

In the Youth Olympic Games at Lausanne 2020, she came second and fourth in the big air and slopestyle respectively.

During the 2021 World Championships, she came sixth in the slopestyle and 11th in the big air - also coming second and then fourth in slopestyle at World Cups.

Muir will be 21 years old when Milano Cortina 2026 comes around, in which time she will have had the opportunity to further hone her skills and pick up plenty more experience as she aims to challenge for medals on the biggest stages.

Considering how well she has adapted to big situations so far, there is plenty of reason to be excited about her future prospects.