Mia Brookes' Daring Bid Ends in Olympic Heartbreak
Team GB's Mia Brookes experienced the agony of Olympic competition as she narrowly missed out on a medal in the women's big air snowboarding event. The 19-year-old sensation finished in fourth place after attempting a never-before-landed trick on snow during her final run.
The Moment of Decision
Standing at the top of the 150-foot ramp with heavy metal music blasting through her headphones, Brookes faced a critical choice. With only one jump remaining and sitting in fourth position, she decided to attempt a backside 1620 - a trick involving four and a half rotations that had only been completed once before in history by a female snowboarder.
"I've only ever done it on the airbag and the last time I tried it was five months ago," Brookes revealed afterwards. "That was the first time I've ever tried it on snow. But sometimes you've just got to grit your teeth and get it done."
So Close Yet So Far
The attempt looked promising as Brookes launched herself down the ramp with incredible speed and precision. She executed the complex rotations beautifully but overspun slightly on landing, coming down on her heels rather than cleanly on the snow. This minor error proved costly, dropping her from potential medal contention to fourth place.
Most observers agreed that a clean landing would have secured Brookes at least a bronze medal, with silver also within reach. Instead, the podium positions went to Japan's Kokomo Murase (gold), New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (silver), and Korea's Yu Seung-eun (bronze).
Team GB's Challenging Day
Brookes' disappointment formed part of what became known as "Tragic Monday" for Team GB, with several other medal hopefuls falling short of expectations.
Curling Setback
The British mixed curling team of Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds suffered a surprising 9-3 defeat to Sweden in their semi-final match. Having won eight of their nine group games, the pair were considered strong favourites but produced what Dodds described as "my worst game of the week."
The match turned dramatically during a Swedish powerplay when the British pair made three consecutive errors, conceding five shots that effectively ended their gold medal hopes. They will now compete for bronze against Italy on Tuesday.
Other Near Misses
The disappointments continued across other events:
- Kirsty Muir missed a freeski slopestyle medal by just 0.41 points, finishing fourth
- Ice dancers Lewis Gibson and Lilah Fear placed fourth in the rhythm dance with a score of 85.47
- Fear and Gibson now face an uphill battle in Wednesday's free programme
Looking Forward with Determination
Despite the day's setbacks, Brookes remained remarkably positive about her experience and future prospects. "I thought I'd got it and I did get it. I got it to my feet but I just gave it too much power," she reflected. "Listening to my music too loud, I spun it too quickly. But yeah, I'm pumped."
The snowboarder highlighted the importance of pushing boundaries in her sport, suggesting that attempting groundbreaking tricks matters as much as winning medals. "I think everyone will be just as stoked about me trying a 16 than me getting a medal," she said.
When asked if she would attempt similarly ambitious tricks in her upcoming slopestyle event next week, Brookes responded without hesitation: "Oh yeah, 100% definitely."
All four British athletes who experienced disappointment on Monday will have opportunities for redemption in the coming days, with Muir and Brookes competing in their preferred slopestyle events next week, while the curlers and ice dancers have immediate chances to secure podium finishes.
