Chloe Kim took silver in Olympic halfpipe, but she still kind of won
| Livigno, Italy
NBC couldn鈥檛 have scripted it any better. The floodlights, the falling snow, the spectators holding their breath as the student had one last chance to beat the master.
After the first two runs at Thursday鈥檚 2026 Winter Olympics snowboard halfpipe final, it looked like American Chloe Kim had made history. No other female halfpipe snowboarder has two Olympic gold medals. Ms. Kim was going for three in a row 鈥� something no one has done, male or female.
On a tough night that saw the best riders struggle to stay upright, the toughest fall came from Ms. Kim鈥檚 toughest competition. Seventeen-year-old South Korean phenom Choi Ga-on had grown up looking to Ms. Kim as an idol. But Ms. Choi had fallen so hard on her first run they brought up a stretcher for her. (After a long time, she ended up not needing it). Then, on her second run, she fell again.
Why We Wrote This
Chloe Kim finished second in Thursday鈥檚 Olympic snowboarding halfpipe event. But her inspiration and support helped pave the way for gold medalist Choi Ga-on.
But there she was for the third run, limping before she dropped into the pipe before a hushed crowd. What followed was a spectacular run of flying flips. When the scores came, she had topped Ms. Kim by a little over two points. On Ms. Kim鈥檚 final run 鈥� her last chance to overcome Ms. Choi 鈥� she fell, and South Korea had its first-ever gold medal in snowboarding.
In a way, however, it was not what Ms. Kim did on that last run Thursday that sealed the gold medal for Ms. Choi. It was what she did years ago, off the halfpipe, that set this extraordinary night in motion.
Back in 2017, the two young women met at an Olympic test event in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Their fathers connected,聽leading Ms. Choi to train at Mammoth Mountain in California, where Ms. Kim grew up snowboarding. Ms. Kim, a second-generation Korean-American, said earlier this week that watching Ms. Choi has felt like 鈥渟eeing a mirror reflection of myself and my family.鈥�
So at the end of Ms. Kim鈥檚 final run, dreams of a third straight gold officially dashed, there was still nothing but smiles, and then a big hug for her little prot茅g茅.
鈥淪he is truly a force, and I鈥檓 so proud of her, and I鈥檓 so happy for her,鈥� said Ms. Kim. 鈥淚 always wanted to be there for her, and I still do鈥� Although we are an individual sport, it means so much to me to know that I鈥檝e inspired a whole new generation.鈥�
Later, with a gold medal around her neck, Ms. Choi could only think of how strange it was to beat the woman she has looked up to for so long.
鈥淗onestly, I wanted to win today, but I found myself subconsciously rooting for Chloe, too,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t felt a bit strange because she鈥檚 such an idol to me, and I was cheering for both of us at the same time.鈥�
Ms. Choi was probably not the only competitor in the field who could say the same.
Ms. Kim鈥檚 own teammate, Bea Kim (no relation) said traveling to Pyeongchang in 2018 and watching Chloe win the gold was her start in the sport. Now, to be Chloe鈥檚 teammate and friend, feels like 鈥渁ll of a sudden being friends with Michael Jordan ,鈥� said Bea.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit of a full circle moment,鈥� she said after finishing 8th. 鈥淭o get to call her a friend, a mentor, and a teammate, it鈥檚 very special. She鈥檚 given me so much in this sport.鈥�
Chloe Kim has been the dominant force in women鈥檚 halfpipe for the past decade. She became the youngest ever X Games title winner at age 14 and has 10 X Games medals from 10 appearances. She and American snowboarder Shaun White share the record for the most golds with eight each.
There are some who say she could have medaled at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, though, at 13, she was too young to compete. Instead, she proceeded to become the youngest Olympic halfpipe gold medalist four years later in Pyeongchang.
The youngest until now. Ms. Choi now takes the distinction by seven months.
Ms. Kim won gold again at the 2022 Beijing Games, but after an injury this January, it was not at all certain she would be ready to fly 20 feet above the halfpipe鈥檚 23-foot walls, pitched at 81 degrees. At a press conference after Thursday鈥檚 event, Ms. Kim teared up with gratitude for completing her comeback and competing here.
Success has brought perspective. As has being the sporting big sister to two of halfpipe鈥檚 bright young stars. After all, Ms. Kim has been here before. One of Bea Kim鈥檚 favorite memories was the first time she landed on the podium in January 2024.
Chloe fell that night, too, finishing just off the podium. But Bea remembers that same big smile, that same warm embrace. 鈥淪he was still super congratulatory toward me and the other girls, and allowed us to have our moment to celebrate,鈥� Bea Kim . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely something that I would like to take into future events.鈥�
The love has been mutual. After Thursday鈥檚 halfpipe, Chloe admitted that the sport had grown stale. By pushing new limits, the next generation of young women brought back her inspiration.
They 鈥渋nspired me to push my limits and try things I鈥檝e never done before,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just want to say to the field, 鈥楾hank you so much for giving me that opportunity.鈥� If they didn鈥檛 push me, I wouldn鈥檛 have seen how far I could go as a snowboarder.鈥�
The future, she said, is in good hands with Ms. Choi. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of her. It鈥檚 all part of the sport. It鈥檚 all about inspiring the next generation. It鈥檚 all about passing the torch.鈥�
Associated Press
