Olympics
South Korea’s Choi Ga-on took the gold in women’s snowboard halfpipe on Thursday, February 12, dethroning Team USA’s Chloe Kim, who was looking to win her third consecutive gold medal in the event. The event took place in a snowy Livigno, Italy, where twelve riders battled it out for podium spots at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games.
The event ended with Ga-on taking the gold, followed by Kim taking silver, and Mitsuki Ono from Japan going home with the bronze.Â
It was a frustrating end to the event for Team USA fans, with Kim falling on her third and final run after leading for much of the contest. Kim landed her first run, earning a score of 88.00 after putting down a double-cork 1080 (three full spins), which gave her a comfortable lead over the other riders. She held that lead up until Ga-on’s third and final run. Fellow American Maddie Mastro also had a tough contest, falling on the first hit on each of her three runs. She would end up in 12th. The final Team USA rider in the event, Bea Kim, finished in 8th.
For Ga-on, it was a story of perseverance. She went down hard on her first run and had to be helped ride down the rest of the halfpipe. The announcers were unsure whether she would continue or not, but Ga-on made it back for her second run. Ga-on ended up falling on her second run, leaving it all up to her third and final run.
In her third run, Ga-on was able to put it all together. She kicked it off with a big backside 900 (two and a half spins), followed by a switch frontside 720 (two full spins), and another 900. She capped it off with another 900, putting her hands up in celebration as she made her way to the bottom of the halfpipe. Ga-on walked away with a score of 90.25, with the crowd erupting behind her as her score came in.
Ga-on’s gold medal is South Korea’s first Olympic medal in any snow sport, cementing Ga-on’s place in Olympic history.Â
