In a stunning upset at the Livigno Winter Olympics, 17-year-old South Korean phenom Choi Ga-on dethroned American snowboarding legend Chloe Kim to claim halfpipe gold, shattering Kim’s historic bid for a third consecutive Olympic title. Under heavy snowfall that transformed the Italian Alps into a dramatic backdrop, Choi delivered a breathtaking final run scoring 90.25 points, a mark that proved insurmountable for the defending champion.
The victory showcased extraordinary resilience from the young champion, who earlier in the competition suffered a terrifying crash that left her motionless in the halfpipe’s base. After hitting the icy lip with brutal force and flipping into the center, medical staff attended to Choi before she remarkably composed herself for what would become her gold-medal performance. Her coach erupted in tears as the score confirmed the victory, while the astonished crowd responded with a mixture of cheers and gasps.
Kim, who had dominated the event with an opening run of 88.00 points, faced immense pressure following Choi’s spectacular performance. The eight-time X Games champion, watched by Team USA honorary coach Snoop Dogg and snowboarding icon Shaun White, ultimately fell during her final attempt, securing silver—her first non-gold Olympic finish. Japan’s Mitsuki Ono captured bronze with 85.00 points.
The victory completes a remarkable full-circle journey for the two athletes. Kim first recognized Choi’s potential in 2017 at a Pyeongchang test event and, along with her father (who is South Korean), facilitated Choi’s training with the Mammoth Mountain development team in the United States. Ironically, Kim’s father was among the first to embrace Choi and her team following the gold medal confirmation.
This isn’t the first time Choi has surpassed her mentor. At just 14 years old, she broke Kim’s record as the youngest X Games superpipe champion in 2023, though her career has been marked by adversity including a season-ending back fracture that same year. Entering these Olympics, Choi demonstrated dominant form by winning every World Cup event she entered during the Olympic season.
For Kim, the road to Livigno was challenging. With only one competition this season, she dislocated her shoulder and sustained a torn labrum in what she described as a “silliest fall” during training in Switzerland last month. Despite competing with her shoulder in a brace, she showed minimal effects during qualification, scoring 90.25 points on Wednesday.