Winter Olympics 2026: Chloe Kim denied third snowboarding halfpipe gold by Choi Ga-on

Seventeen-year-old Choi Ga-on denied American great Chloe Kim’s snowboarding past by surviving the fall early to win halfpipe gold at the Winter Olympics.

Kim was hoping to become the first snowboarder (male or female) to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

But as heavy snow fell in Livigno, South Korean Choi scored 90.25 points on his final run, pushing Kim to the top of the standings; The 25-year-old could not have scored better than this in his last attempt.

Choi showed extraordinary endurance after having previously suffered a brutal fall before hitting the icy edge of the pipe, tumbling into the middle and remaining motionless for a while.

But he eventually pulled himself together and stunned the watching crowd with his stunning third run; His coach burst into tears when he realized he had made it.

For Kim, preparations for the Games were far from ideal.

In just one competition this season, he dislocated his shoulder and suffered a torn labrum in training in Switzerland last month in what he described as “the stupidest fall.”

But despite wearing a shoulder brace, he showed little sign that it would affect him as he scored 90.25 points in qualifying on Wednesday.

Watched by Team USA’s ‘honorary coach’ Snoop Dogg and snowboarding legend Shaun White in Thursday’s final, eight-time X Games champion Kim looked poised for gold after scoring 88.00 in the opening run, and few have come close.

But Choi’s score, which was met with both cheers and gasps of shock from the watching crowd, increased the pressure on Kim but secured a first-ever Olympic silver medal with a fall.

Japanese Mitsuki Ono won the bronze medal with 85.00 points.

More to follow.