I'm working on trusting myself at the top of the slope

Freestyle skier Kirsty Muir details her recovery from injury and how she wants a true Games experience

- Yara El-Shaboury

"I feel OK," says Kirsty Muir. "It's slightly overwhelming but somehow strangely feels normal."

The air at the Team GB media summit in Edinburgh crackles with a familiar Olympic buzz. Athletes from across winter disciplines navigate the bustling hall as they complete their press duties to mark six months until the 2026 Games in Italy. Some pass the time with a game of rock, paper, scissors, a fleeting moment of levity during the interviews and photoshoots. For many seasoned competitors this media cycle is a well-worn path, but for the Scottish freestyle skier the experience is distinctly new.

Despite her debut at Beijing 2022 as a 17-year-old, the pandemic cast a shadow over the experience, transforming it into something far removed from the traditional Olympic spectacle. "I feel like this is my first proper Games because last time it was during Covid," she says. "All my interviews were on Zoom so I've not done this.

"There's so much that is different this time. Last time I was still in school, so that was taking up a big part of my focus. I've finished school now, have had a few more results under my belt and been progressing in my skiing. I feel like I will get the whole Olympic experience this time.

"I was also very shy and since then I've come out of my shell. I feel I belong more in the sport, have a place in it. It's a lot cooler than when I was 17."