Atkin came into her second Olympics as the reigning world champion, eager to improve on the ninth-place finish she achieved on her debut in Beijing four years ago.
She had qualified top of the standings for the final, which was postponed to Sunday morning after heavy snowfall in Livigno the previous day.
There she remained after the first run, with a score of 90.50, after Gu – the defending champion – had fallen on her opening trick.
On the second run, the roles reversed. Gu vastly improved with a 94.00, as did Li with 91.50, only for Atkin to fall on her effort.
Gu, the most decorated female Olympic freestyle skier in history, boosted her score further on her third and final run, leaving Atkin knowing she would have to be perfect to challenge for gold.
But with the medal already in the bag, Atkin was smiling at the top of the pipe as she dropped in for one last time, enjoying a pressure-free run and seemingly unbothered that the two points she gained were not enough for a higher step on the podium.
