Chloe Kim wins silver, edged out of a three-peat by her own protégé Gaon Choi
The Korean American athlete couldn't defend her title at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but she's more than happy with second place
Chloe Kim scored a 88.00 in the women's halfpipe event on Thursday, Feb. 12, earning her a silver medal.
NBC Sports
Words by Helen Li
Chloe Kim smiled at the press conference. Around her neck was a new 2026 silver Olympic medal.
Just a month ago, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in the women’s halfpipe snowboarding event suffered a torn labrum in her shoulder while training in Switzerland. Although she qualified for the Olympics last year in May, her competition status going into Milan was suddenly uncertain. Kim decided to pause and recover, resuming snowboard training only two weeks before the Olympics. She was ready to defend her title.
Although she did not ultimately defend her title, Kim saw her own protégé, 17-year old Gaon Choi from South Korea, win the gold. However, this year’s medal meant more to Kim, who will be getting shoulder surgery after these Olympics, than her previous ones.
“There was a lot of conversation about me [attempting to win a third gold] but honestly I'm just so glad I was able to get here,” Kim said to BBC Sport. "I think this one might mean more than the others. I think I put it all out there.”
Choi bounced back from a severe first run fall to ultimately score a 90.25 on her third run, edging out Kim’s 88.00. Mitsuki Ono from Japan claimed bronze with an 85.00. Kim also became the first female snowboarder to land a cab double 1080: three rotations and two flips in the air while using a stalefish grab with her snowboard. Choi executed two clean 900s with high amplitude to edge out Kim.
Kim herself became the youngest gold medalist in women’s halfpipe at 17 years old in the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. She has been nearly undefeatable in the field of women’s halfpipe, medaling numerous times at the X Games, and also has become active in fashion and film production.
But now, there are new challengers coming up through the ranks. At 17 years and 101 days old, Choi has now become the youngest Olympic snowboarding champion at a Winter Olympics and the first from South Korea.
“I met [Choi] when she literally started halfpipe snowboarding. Sometimes it feels like I'm seeing a mirror reflection of myself and my family,” Kim said at the post-qualifying press conference.
“I feel like a proud mom. The future of snowboarding is in good hands,” Kim said, complimenting Choi’s work ethic and how she is attempting new tricks to grow the sport.
Kim, whose parents are immigrants from South Korea, has also spoken up about the challenges of representing the United States at this time with news of ICE raids, saying it “hits close to home.”
“It’s important in moments like these for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another with what’s going on,” Kim said. “I’m really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family so much opportunity, but I also think we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on. And I think we need to lead with love and compassion, and I would like to see more of that.”
Published on February 16, 2026
Words by Helen Li
Helen Li is a journalist and fact-checker based in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Rest of World, Semafor, and Business Insider. In her free time, she appreciates a good hike, watches NCAA gymnastics, and occasionally dives into Reddit rabbit holes where she finds fascinating stories. She also just completed her first women's rugby 15s season. You can reach her on Signal @hliwrites.99.