South Korean teen Choi denies American Kim of record 3rd Olympic gold

by · UPI

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- South Korean teen Gaon Choi scored a 90.25 to win gold Thursday in the Olympic halfpipe, denying Chloe Kim of a record third consecutive victory.

Choi, 17, received treatment after a nasty fall on her first of three runs in the competition in Livigno, Italy. She initially raised doubts whether she could continue, but rallied to overtake Kim with a stellar final run.

Her victory gave made her the first athlete from the Republic of Korea to win a gold medal in snow sports.

Kim posted an 88 on her first run and remained in the lead until the final round, when Choi posted a 90.25. She fell on each of her final two runs while trying to complete back-to-back double cork 1080s -- a trick with two somersaults and three rotations -- en route to a silver medal.

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Japan's Mitsuki Ono, who scored an 85 on her first run, placed third. Americans Bea Kim (77) and Maddie Mastro (5.50) finished eighth and 12th, respectively.

Kim was denied in her quest to become the first female or male snowboarder to win gold at three consecutive Olympics. She also was attempting to tie Shaun White, who watched on Thursday at Livigno Snow Park, for the most gold medals (three) ever won by a snowboarder.

The 25-year-old American shrugged off the dislocated shoulder she sustained last month in training and started her initial run with a backside 720. She proceeded to land a switch backside air and double cork 1080, among other tricks, en route to her highest score.

Japan's Ono (85) and Rise Kudo (77.5) were in second- and third-place, respectively, after the first run. Ono and Kudo remained in podium range after their second runs, with Kudo improving her score to 81.75. But Choi, who fell on her second run, saved her best performance for when it mattered most en route to shuffling the podium.

Spain's Queralt Castellet, who won silver in the halfpipe in 2022, placed 10th. Japan's Sena Tomita, who won bronze in 2022, placed ninth.

The men's snowboard halfpipe will be held at 1:30 p.m. EST Friday in Livigno. Jake Pates, Chase Josey and Alessandro Barbieri are the Americans set to compete in that event. Japan's Ruka Hirano and Australia's Scotty James, who earned gold and silver in the event in 2022, also are in the 12-man field.

Switzerland's Jan Scherrer, who won bronze in 2022 and sustained a concussion during training, did not participate in qualification for the event.

Winter Olympics: Japan wins gold in women's snowboarding

Kokomo Murase of Japan poses with her gold medal after the women's snowboard big air competition during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on February 9, 2026. Photo by Bob Strong/UPI | License Photo