Competing in the Big Air, Muir scored a combined 174.75 points from her best two runs, 3.5 points shy of Italian bronze medallist Flora Tabanelli. The narrow miss came exactly a week after the 21-year-old missed out on slopestyle bronze by just 0.41 points.

In an event in which the best two cumulative scores from three attempts determine the final standings, Muir landed a 1620 to score a massive 93.0 – the third biggest of the competition – to soar into second place at the end of round two. But Eileen Gu responded with her own big jump, moving Muir down into bronze-medal position before a stunning 94.25 from Italy’s world champion Flora Tabanelli forced Muir to upgrade in order to return to the top three.

Muir was left with little choice but to go for broke, but she crashed out, confirming gold for Megan Oldham of Canada, with Gu taking silver and Flora Tabanelli earning bronze. For Team GB, it was a painful fifth fourth place of the Games so far.

But to her credit, Muir went up to congratulate Oldham immediately after her gold was confirmed. Speaking in the immediate aftermath, the Scot said: “I enjoyed it quite a lot. I was having a really great time in practice, and we had the long break, and I was having a great time then as well and I got back into it quickly, and I’m really proud of myself for putting the two tricks down that I did and also going for it in that third four because I’ve never landed that trick before, but I just had to go for it. I crashed, but I’m still proud of myself.

“I was wanting to do the 16 with a blunt grab, a different grab, but it just didn’t happen. It is a pretty difficult grab!

“When the scores came in for the other girls, I knew I had to give it something really, really good to get on that podium, so I’m stoked that I did try that.

“I love skiing with the girls. They are my besties and I’m just stoked. I’m stoked for Meg, she skied unbelievably.

“I can’t really process how many have been [inspired], but I’m just so grateful for the support back home. I hope everyone has seen how cool our sport is. Just so much love and thank you to everyone back home.”

Reacting to the final, Clare Balding, BBC presenter said: “What a standard of competition that was in high winds and tough weather.”

While Ed Leigh, the BBC commentator, said: “Tonight is nowhere near as heartbreaking as the slopestyle was. Look at how hard Kirsty fought, that 1620 was breathtaking.

“She can be so proud of what he’s done tonight. She’s been a part of one of the greatest women’s big air finals we’ve seen.”

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