Four years ago, Chloe Kim decided to step away from snowboarding. The U.S. star made the hard decision shortly after winning a second straight gold medal at the halfpipe competition of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. At just 17, Kim won her first gold in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, and she defended her crown four years later.
All the fame took a toll on her, though. She announced after the 2022 Beijing Olympics that she would be withdrawing from the 2022-23 season to focus on her mental health.
When she returned, Kim picked up right where she left off. She won gold at the 2024 Winter X Games, followed by another gold medal at the halfpipe competition of the 2025 World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland.
On Thursday, Kim made history again at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
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Kim competed in the halfpipe final of the Winter Olympics on Thursday. She entered the final with high hopes after placing first in the qualifying round on Wednesday. There was also a lot of pressure on the back-to-back champion to defend her title.
Kim came up short, though. She finished second behind 17-year-old South Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon. The teenage phenom came out with an incredible final run to overtake Kim in the standings.
Kim may have failed in her bid for a third straight gold medal, but the American still made history with her second-place finish. Team USA took to social media to announce Kim’s historic milestone.
“The first woman to medal at three-straight Olympics in halfpipe,” Team USA's post read.
Kim fell short of gold, but she still stands alone as the only female snowboarder to finish on the podium in the halfpipe competition for three straight Olympics.
Kim, who tore the labrum in her left shoulder in January, right before the Winter Games, is just 25. However, she has been competing since the age of 6. In a December interview with Sports Illustrated, Kim revealed that she already has a retirement date in mind. She did not say when, but Kim is adamant that she will stick to her decision.
“I am 25 right now. I’d love to start a family. My mom had me when she was young. I’d love to be a young mom,” she said. “My dad’s 70 right now. There’s so much time, but also not enough time.”