Chloe Kim just lost Olympic gold to the teenager she mentored.
South Korea’s Choi Gaon, 17, recovered from a brutal crash to score 90.25 on her final run Thursday night, dethroning the two-time defending champion who hadn’t lost an Olympic halfpipe in eight years. The upset ended Kim’s bid to become the first snowboarder ever to win three consecutive Olympic golds in the same event.
The Shoulder That Almost Stopped History
Kim dislocated her left shoulder one month ago during training in Switzerland. The injury looked career-threatening on video—she face-planted into the halfpipe wall and slid down awkwardly.
“A month ago, my chances looked bleak, and I had no practice on snow,” the 25-year-old American told Olympics.com. She still dominated qualifying with a 90.25 score days earlier, making the three-peat feel inevitable.
Day 6 Halfpipe Fast Facts:
- 88.0 points: Kim’s first-run score that held the lead for most of the night
- 90.25 points: Choi’s comeback score that won gold
- 1 month: Time between Kim’s shoulder dislocation and Olympic finals
- 8 years: Kim’s undefeated Olympic streak before Thursday
- 17 years old: Age of the protégé who beat her idol
The Final Run That Changed Everything
Kim entered her last attempt trailing for the first time in Olympic history. Light snow fell over Livigno Snow Park as her coach gave her a choice: play it safe or go big.
“I wanted to go for it. Because that’s what I do,” Kim said. She launched higher than her first run but couldn’t match Choi’s technical execution.
The Twist Nobody Expected
Choi crashed hard earlier in the competition, slamming into the halfpipe as spectators gasped. The teenager who idolizes Kim then delivered the performance of her life when it mattered most.
“I’ll admit, I went pretty safe on it,” Kim said of her first run, watching competitors fall around her. That conservative strategy backfired when Choi proved fearless in the final round.
Why It Matters
Kim’s smile at the medal ceremony shocked viewers expecting devastation. Her silver might mean more than her previous golds—she competed with an injury that nearly ended her Olympic dream entirely. The passing of the torch from mentor to protégé delivered the kind of generational sports drama that transcends snowboarding and proves even legends can’t win forever.
Jordan Blake is a rogue film critic and former VFX compositor with over 15 years of industry experience. Tired of paid reviews and “safe” opinions, Jordan left the studio system to tell the audience what Hollywood won’t. He specializes in forensic frame-by-frame analysis, exposing bad CGI, and decoding hidden lore that others miss.
Known for his “no-nonsense” approach, Jordan pays for his own tickets and refuses to attend press junkets, ensuring his loyalty belongs only to the fans. If a movie is a cash grab, he’ll say it. If it’s a masterpiece, he’ll explain why technically.
Specialty: VFX Breakdowns, Script Analysis, Hidden Details.
Motto: “Cinema doesn’t lie, but marketing does.”
Follow him for: The truth behind the pixels.