The 22-year-old finished in 8th in the women’s moguls final on Sunday (6 February).
Team GB’s Makayla Gerken Schofield has made history at the Beijing Winter Olympics after becoming the first-ever British skier to make it to an Olympic moguls final and securing the highest ever position for any British athlete, male or female.
Gerken Schofield, who placed eighth in the highly-competitive final, completed the course in 28.59 seconds on her final run, scoring a total of 73.04 points.
It wasn’t enough to qualify for the events’ ‘super final’ which saw the top six athletes complete a third run to decide the final positions – but it was certainly enough for the 22-year-old to put her name in the history books.
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Asked how it felt to place so close to the top at the Olympics, Gerken Schofield told the BBC the whole experience felt a “bit surreal”.
“I’m sort of struggling to believe it,” she said after the competition. “I just had so much fun out there, and eighth place is absolutely incredible.”
Adding that it had “been a while” since she’d enjoyed skiing, Gerken Schofield explained how it felt to be competing at such a massive event.
“Tonight just felt absolutely incredible,” she added. “Skiing those bumps – the feeling was – I’ve got no words. I think it’s a mix of everything – this course is absolutely stunning, stunning to ski as well, and obviously it’s the Olympics, the vibe is here. I tried to take it as a World Cup, but at the back of my mind I was like, ‘Oh my god it’s the Olympics’. So much fun.”
Gerken Schofield was joined in Beijing by her older sister Leonie, who missed out on a spot in the moguls final after failing to finish her run in the first round of qualifying.
Leonie’s twin and Makayla’s older brother Tom is also a mogul skier and was meant to join the pair in Beijing, but was unable to attend due to a concussion.
However, while things may not have gone as planned for the Gerken Schofield family at first, they’ve definitely got something to celebrate now. Congratulations, Makayla!
Image: Getty
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