Lead
In Livigno, Italy, on Thursday evening, 25-year-old Chloe Kim entered the Olympic halfpipe final bidding for a third straight gold but was overtaken by 17-year-old Gaon Choi. Choi delivered a comeback run that earned a 90.25, surpassing Kim’s top score of 88.00 and handing Kim the silver. Kim, who revealed a shoulder injury sustained last month in Switzerland that will require surgery, attempted to push for history but fell on her final trick. The result crowned a resilient young champion and left Kim reflecting on a career that many judge among the sport’s all-time greats.
Key Takeaways
- Gaon Choi, 17, won the Livigno halfpipe final with a score of 90.25, overtaking Chloe Kim’s leading 88.00.
- Choi recovered from two hard falls earlier in the competition to land the decisive run and clinch Olympic gold.
- Chloe Kim, 25, finished with silver while pursuing an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic halfpipe title.
- Kim disclosed a shoulder injury from a crash in Switzerland last month and said she will need surgery after the Games.
- Kim had practiced a 1440 (four rotations) but did not attempt it in competition; she fell on a cab double cork 1080 on her final run.
- The outcome places Kim alongside athletes who move into new chapters after decorated careers; she celebrated on the podium despite missing gold.
Background
Snowboard halfpipe has become one of the most watched events at the Winter Olympics since it entered the program, producing high-profile athletes who combine technical innovation with Olympic pageantry. Chloe Kim first announced herself to global audiences as a 17-year-old Olympic champion, and she returned over successive Games aiming to extend that legacy. Shaun White remains the only halfpipe rider to complete an Olympic three-peat, winning in 2006, 2010 and 2018; Kim was attempting the same historic mark in 2026.
The Livigno final was run under steady snowfall that made the pipe sticky and increased the risk of falls, a condition several riders wrestled with during the night. Gaon Choi arrived at the Games with a notable junior résumé, including an X Games title at 14, but she had not been widely expected to upend the sport’s biggest name. For Kim, who has navigated both elite success and public attention since her teens, the 2026 Games felt like a closing chapter amid talk that she had been stepping away from competition after 2022.
Main Event
The final unfolded with high drama. Kim established an early lead with an 88.00 that held through eighteen subsequent competitors, and for much of the session it appeared she would secure the third straight title that had been widely discussed. Midway through the final, however, Choi—who had taken two punishing falls earlier—rode a composed, technically strong run down the pipe. When the scoreboard updated, Choi’s 90.25 leapfrogged Kim and stunned the crowd.
Kim elected to go for a big, history-seeking run on her second attempt. On her penultimate hit she attempted a cab double cork 1080 — a trick she performs regularly in competition — but failed to land cleanly and slid out, ending her bid for the top spot. As the scoreboard confirmed Choi’s victory, the atmosphere shifted from anticipation to palpable surprise and respect for the new champion.
After the event Kim acknowledged both the effort of her rival and the limits she had been managing. She praised Choi’s resilience in standing up from earlier crashes to execute the winning run. Choi, meanwhile, described being in pain yet focused after the competition and said she was shocked by the turn of events as her knees throbbed from earlier slams.
Analysis & Implications
Sportingly, Choi’s win is a reminder that halfpipe success depends not only on trick difficulty but on consistency and the ability to rally after errors. Her victory underlines the depth emerging in women’s snowboarding, where younger athletes can convert practice-level potential into podium outcomes on the sport’s biggest stage. For the discipline, the result also highlights how weather and course conditions — in this case sticky snow — can compress margins and reward measured execution.
For Chloe Kim, the silver reframes how her 2026 appearance will be remembered. Rather than an unfinished quest for a unique three-peat, this event may be viewed as a valedictory performance: she left with a third Olympic medal and public acknowledgment that her priorities and physical resilience have shifted. The announced shoulder surgery adds a medical dimension to any discussion of future competition plans and will likely influence whether she returns to elite competition.
Commercially and culturally, Kim’s status remains undiminished. Even in silver, she exits this Olympic chapter with global visibility and marketability that will support non-competitive opportunities. For Gaon Choi, the gold is likely to catalyze sponsorships and invitations to top-tier events, accelerating a career that until now had been notable primarily in junior and action-sports circles.
Comparison & Data
| Rider | Top Score | Age (2026) | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaon Choi | 90.25 | 17 | Gold |
| Chloe Kim | 88.00 | 25 | Silver |
| Shaun White (historical) | — | Varied | Three-time gold (2006, 2010, 2018) |
The numbers illustrate how narrow the final margins were: Choi’s winning mark exceeded Kim’s best by 2.25 points. Historically, three-peats have been rare in snowboard halfpipe, with Shaun White’s three Olympic golds still standing apart. That rarity underscores both the physical and competitive hurdles to repeating at the highest level across three Games.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials, peers and fans offered rapid responses after the run. Team USA representatives highlighted Kim’s resilience and the quality of competition; Choi’s team emphasized her composure after earlier falls.
“I was a bit shocked then,”
Gaon Choi
Choi spoke shortly after the event, describing how pain and surprise mixed with relief when her score appeared. She noted lingering knee pain from earlier crashes but framed the win as a career-defining moment earned through grit.
“She took a heavy slam, got back up and won the damn thing,”
Chloe Kim
Kim praised her rival’s toughness in comments delivered on the field of play, acknowledging that Choi’s comeback run merited the victory and expressing admiration rather than regret.
“I’m here walking away with my third medal! This is so sick!”
Chloe Kim
On the podium Kim mixed pride with emotion as she reflected on a long career and the personal relief of finishing the competition with a medal despite physical setbacks.
Unconfirmed
- Reports that Kim intends to retire immediately are unverified beyond a brief comment from Choi; Kim has not issued a formal retirement statement.
- Details about the exact timeline and medical specifics of Kim’s planned shoulder surgery have not been released publicly.
Bottom Line
Gaon Choi’s gold in Livigno is both a breakthrough and a demonstration of the unpredictable nature of Olympic halfpipe: youth, resilience and a single high-scoring run can upend pre-competition narratives. Chloe Kim’s silver, coming with the admission of an injury and possible surgery, reframes her 2026 appearance as a powerful capstone rather than an unfinished historic sweep.
Looking ahead, Choi’s profile will rise rapidly, and the depth of women’s halfpipe competition has clearly increased. For Kim, decisions about recovery and future starts will determine whether this podium marks an endpoint or a pause; either way, her place among the sport’s most influential athletes remains secure.
Sources
- Yahoo Sports — (media report)
- Olympics.com — (official results and event information)
- Team USA — (national team / official)