Kirsty Muir Makes History with Dual World Cup Titles
Kirsty Muir narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in slopestyle at the 2026 Winter Olympics by just 0.41 points. Despite this, she has become the first British woman to win World Cup titles in both freeski slopestyle and overall park and pipe disciplines.
On Saturday, further British success was achieved as Winter Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Bankes secured her third World Cup title in snowboard cross.
Muir's Performance in Silvaplana
The 21-year-old Scot finished second behind Swiss skier Sarah Hofflin in the final slopestyle event of the 2025-26 season held in Silvaplana, Switzerland. Muir scored 75.54 points, trailing the 35-year-old Olympic bronze medallist Hofflin, who earned 80.07 points.
This result marked Muir's third consecutive podium finish, following victories in Aspen and Tignes. Her season total reached 280 points, securing her the first slopestyle Crystal Globe of her career by a margin of 69 points over Canada's Elena Gaskell.
Additionally, Muir placed third in the big air season standings with 219 points. Combining her results from slopestyle, big air, and halfpipe, she amassed 470 points in the overall competition, surpassing her closest competitor, Canada's Naomi Urness, by 78 points.
Charlotte Bankes' Continued Success
In Mont Sainte Anne, Canada, 30-year-old Bankes entered the event leading the standings and solidified her position with her third victory of the 2026 season. This achievement added to her previous World Cup titles won in 2022 and 2023.
Earlier in February, Bankes and Huw Nightingale earned Britain's first Winter Olympics title on snow by winning the snowboard cross mixed team gold.
Contrasting Olympic Experiences
While Bankes celebrated Olympic success, Muir faced disappointment at the Milan-Cortina Games, finishing fourth in both slopestyle and big air events. After narrowly missing a medal, the X Games champion expressed motivation to continue progressing.
"I am really excited to go and try to learn some new tricks," she told following the Winter Olympics. "I am excited to see where I can push myself and where I can push the sport.
"For the next two years I will go and do everything that I would like to do and forget about the Olympics, and then when it comes round to qualification again I will get stuck in."
GB Snowsport's Perspective
Vicky Gosling, chief executive of GB Snowsport, praised the athletes' achievements.
"To see British athletes lifting three Crystal Globes on a single day is a remarkable achievement and yet another milestone on the incredible journey we've been on as a winter sport nation over the past eight years.
"Kirsty and Charlotte deserve an extraordinary amount of praise for their performances across this season and across the past four years as a whole, as do their coaches, support staff and the entire team around them.
"These results, coming off the back of Britain's best ever Olympic Winter Games, show once again that British snowsport is in good hands and promises more extraordinary accomplishments in the years to come."
