There was a major upset at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday, and it involved U.S. star Chloe Kim. The snowboarding icon was the favorite to win her third straight gold medal at the halfpipe final. Kim entered the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics after winning back-to-back golds in PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022.
It wasn’t her day, though. Despite a strong effort from the American, it was 17-year-old South Korean Choi Gaon who won the gold medal. Kim found herself in pole position after scoring an 88.00 on her opening run. Choi crashed in her first round but came back to score an incredible 90.25 in her third run, overtaking Kim.
Kim attempted to recapture the lead, but the 25-year-old crashed in her third and final run. That ended her hope of winning gold, conceding the win to her teenage counterpart.
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This is not the first time Kim and Choi faced off in competition. The two snowboarding stars also went head-to-head at the 2025 FIS Snowboard World Cup at Copper Mountain in December. Choi also won gold in the halfpipe competition after Kim was forced to withdraw due to injury.
At that time, Choi admitted that she was “a bit disappointed” that Kim was “injured and not at her best.” According to the young snowboarder, she wanted to “compete together when we are both in peak condition.”
Choi got her wish on Thursday at the halfpipe final in the Olympics. While Kim was still nursing a torn labrum sustained during a practice run in January, the American snowboarder still topped the qualifying round on Wednesday.
After Choi’s victory on Thursday, her message about Kim resurfaced. This was after NBC Olympics & Paralympics posted the Choi’s quote on social media.
“I began snowboarding as a child after watching Chloe, so it is a great honor for me to compete at the Olympics alongside her,” Choi said of Kim ahead of the Winter Games. “Competing with her just makes me so happy, as Chloe is my idol.”
Choi has nothing but respect for Kim. At the same time, Kim also holds her younger counterpart in high regard. A testament to this fact is how Kim was the first to congratulate Choi after the latter clinched the gold medal.
Kim is a class act and she exhibited grace in defeat. This is why it’s no surprise that the younger generation of snowboarders — Choi included — look up to her with utmost respect and admiration.