In a dramatic final that shifted the balance of power in women’s snowboarding, 17-year-old Choi Gaon of South Korea survived a violent crash on her first run to dethrone two-time defending champion Chloe Kim and claim the Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe on Thursday night.
On a floodlit course battered by swirling snowfall at Livigno Snow Park, the teenager delivered a heroic third and final run, scoring a competition-high 90.25, to edge out Kim’s first-run score of 88.00.
The victory not only denies the American her historic bid for a third consecutive gold, but it also crowns Choi as the first athlete from the Republic of Korea to win an Olympic gold medal in any snow sport.
The night, however, nearly ended in heartbreak before it truly began. On her opening descent, Choi caught an edge while attempting a big move, slamming hard onto the ice and tumbling upside down. She lay motionless on the snow for several minutes as medical personnel rushed to her side.
The venue fell silent as the extent of the impact became visible to spectators and a global television audience.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Choi said afterward, composing herself in the finish area. “I began snowboarding as a child after watching Chloe, so it is a great honour for me to compete at the Olympics alongside her. Competing with her just makes me so happy”.
The courage to continue came from within. After skiing to the bottom of the course under her own power, Choi recalibrated. In the locker room, she later told teammates she had only shown half of what she could do.
Her second run was clean but conservative. Her third was a masterpiece.
Facing the pressure of Olympic final maths, Choi laid down a flawless series of amplitude and technicality, landing a run that the judges deemed the finest of the evening. Suddenly, the weight of history shifted to the top of the pipe, where Kim waited.
Kim, competing with her left shoulder heavily taped following a dislocation in Switzerland just six weeks ago, had posted her 88.00 on her first attempt and watched the board nervously.
She needed 90.26 to win. Midway through her final run, she crashed out, immediately putting her hands to her helmet in disbelief.
“I love Gaon so much,” Kim had said just days earlier, reflecting on the trajectory of her young rival. “I’ve known her since she was a very small child. Seeing her at this big stage is such a full-circle moment. Sometimes it feels like I’m seeing a mirror reflection of myself and my family”.
Japan’s Mitsuki Ono took bronze with a score of 85.00.
For Choi, the gold medal represents the fulfillment of a promise made quietly after a frustrating qualifying round. “I will pour out all my efforts in the final,” she had vowed. “My aim is not only to perform impressive tricks but also to showcase pure snowboarding with very stable skills”.
In the United States and much of Europe, snowboard halfpipe is a mainstay. In South Korea, it has remained a niche pursuit. Choi, who now leads the World Cup Crystal Globe race, hopes her golden run changes that.
“I want to introduce this sport more to my country through my performance at this Olympics,” she said. “I hope people remember me as someone who is very good at handling a snowboard”.