Chloe Kim approaches Olympic greatness despite shoulder injury

Chloe Kim Excels Despite Injury at 2026 Winter Olympics

American snowboarding star Chloe Kim faced the 2026 Winter Olympics with a significant shoulder injury, yet she proved her resilience and skill during the qualifying round for the women’s snowboard halfpipe event. Kim secured the top spot, positioning herself as a strong contender for her third consecutive gold medal. Achieving this would mark her as the first female snowboarder to win three straight halfpipe golds at the Olympics.

In her initial run, Kim earned 90.25 points, maintaining her lead despite not improving her score on her second attempt. Her teammate Maddie Mastro finished in third with a score of 86.00.

“I feel good. I’m happy to be here,” she shared with Olympic.com. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure, but I think the Olympics are special because there’s so much support around the world.”

Competing in the Milan-Cortina Games, Kim donned a shoulder brace due to an injury that hindered her preparation.

Kim mentioned that she only returned to the halfpipe two weeks prior, marking her first substantial attempt since the previous March. “She was very well behaved,” she humorously noted about her left shoulder. “So I’m grateful for that.”

This injury has shifted her perspective on her Olympic journey. “If you had asked me before my shoulder injury, maybe I would have given a different answer,” she reflected. “But coming back from injury, I obviously didn’t get nearly as many reps as I would normally have before the Olympics. I’m really proud of myself and how far I’ve come.”