Industry News
U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim has been named to the TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2026, a recognition that places her alongside global leaders, artists, and change makers. She joins the likes of astronaut Reid Wiseman, singer/songwriter Luke Combs, and —in the subcategory “Icons” like herself — fellow Team USA Olympian Alysa Liu.
Each year, TIME Magazine assembles a list of 100 honorees who, in the eyes of the editors — past and present — are the most influential in that year. While not always necessarily famous, these 100 people have a distinct impact on our time and help shape our world. In 2023, Mikaela Shiffrin made the TIME 100 list. Likewise, Mikaela Shiffrin (2023), Eileen Gu (2022), and Lindsey Vonn (2013) have all made the prestigious ranking in the past, showcasing the influence female U.S. ski and snowboard athletes have on society.
Chloe Kim burst onto the snowboarding scene at age 13, winning silver at the prestigious Aspen, Colorado, X Games just a few months before her 14th birthday. She went on to win the halfpipe event at Aspen the following year and went on to claim seven more X Games victories. She qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics and became the youngest snowboarder to win Olympic gold at just 17 years old. Kim backed it up in 2022 with another Olympic gold. She became the first woman to stomp back-to-back 1080 spins in competition and has dominated women’s halfpipe snowboarding for more than a decade.
At the 2026 Winter Olympics, Kim entered with a chance to make history as the first snowboarder to win three consecutive Olympic golds in halfpipe. Instead, she left with silver after being overtaken by rising star Choi Ga-on. On paper, it looked like a loss. In reality, it reinforced exactly why Kim is on the TIME list. Competing through a torn labrum suffered earlier in the season, Kim still delivered under pressure, landing a strong opening run and leading much of the final before falling on her last attempt. It was a reminder that even for the most dominant athletes, greatness isn’t linear — and that resilience can resonate more than perfection.
Resilience is something Kim is even better known for. The U.S. athlete has prioritized her mental health over the pressures of her sport on two occasions, when she took a year off to focus on other things. After her first Olympic gold, Kim took a year off to finish school and surround herself with “normal” people, “I needed to surround myself with people who had nothing to do with snowboarding,” Kim said at the time. She did the same after the 2022 Olympics, when she stepped away from competition for a year to prioritize her mental health.
In the accompanying tribute, Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee captured what makes Kim stand out in a crowded field of elite athletes:
“Chloe Kim makes effort look cool… she embraces the grind of Olympic snowboarding and still brings so much style, confidence, and personality to everything she does.”
That combination — dominance paired with authenticity — has defined Kim’s career. As Lee noted in her tribute, Kim has been unusually open about the mental demands of elite sport. In an era where athletes are increasingly pushing back against outdated expectations, Kim has positioned herself at the forefront of that shift.
She has spoken candidly about pressure, burnout, and the need to protect her mental health. That balance has made her a role model not just for aspiring snowboarders, but for athletes across disciplines.
