Chloe Kim’s Silver at the 2026 Winter Olympics

During the women’s halfpipe event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, American snowboarder Chloe Kim experienced a surprising turn of events. After a fall on her final run, she missed out on what would have been her third consecutive Olympic gold medal, allowing South Korea’s Gaon Choi to take home the gold.

Although Kim initially scored 88.00 points on her first run, maintaining the lead throughout the competition, Choi overcame early setbacks. After two significant falls, she delivered a remarkable clean final run, scoring 90.25 points, which pushed her ahead of Kim.

Even after her fall, Kim briefly had a shot at reclaiming first place. Once she realized she couldn’t, the joy from the Korean team at their gold medal victory was evident. Kim’s reaction was uplifting; despite not winning, her smile and support for Choi shone through as they celebrated together post-competition.

Choi, only 17 years old and perceived as a strong competitor, had come into this event as a major threat to Kim’s dominance. With a past victory at the X Games when she was just 14, Choi showed remarkable resilience after earlier difficulties in the final rounds.

Kim, an accomplished athlete with multiple championships under her belt, was aiming to make history by becoming the first snowboarder to win three Olympic golds consecutively—something that hasn’t been achieved in the sport, though Shaun White also boasts three golds, albeit not in a row.

Before the event, Kim expressed a sense of gratitude, regardless of the outcome. She said, “I’m just going to do what I came here to do, and if they decide to give it to me, that’s great.” Her boyfriend, Myles Garrett, an NFL star, was among her supporters in Milan, celebrating his own recent achievements in football.

This silver medal marks the 14th for the United States at the Milan-Cortina Games, reflecting a strong overall performance.