Chloe Kim has won gold in the women's halfpipe competition in the previous two Winter Olympics, so when she returned for the 2026 Games, expectations were high that she would be able to keep her golden streak running.
A win would have made her the first Olympic snowboarder (men's or women's) to achieve a three-peat in a single event in Winter Olympics history.
Unfortunately, Kim lost to South Korea's Choi Gaon, who scored 90.25 on her final run. While the American star still had a chance to claim the top spot, she had to settle for the silver after she wiped out on her final two runs.
While Kim's loss and failure to get her third Olympic gold, her press conference after the event drew plenty of attention.
Team USA posted a video of Kim addressing how the shift in the sport pushed her to be in her best condition.
Jack Gruber-Imagn Images
"I think, for so long, I won events doing the same run over and over and over again," Kim said. "I think seeing this new shift in progression has inspired me to push my limits and try things I've never done before."
She also thanked her peers for pushing her, stating, "I just want to say to the entire women's field: Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity. Because if they didn't push me, I wouldn't have been able to see how far I could go as a snowboarder."
Fans immediately commented on how classy the 25-year-old is in praising the sport's evolution.
"Chloe you’re a class act, we are so proud," one fan said.
One commenter took note of her class when Choi won the gold, "She is all class and a good sport," they wrote. "She went and congratulated the winner from Korea. The Korean girl and her family were overcome with joy. Great to see all of it."
"No matter the result we are so proud of Chloe Kim," another person quipped in the comments. "She’s such an amazing person," another commenter agreed.
One fan was direct with their praise: "My goat."
Kim is widely considered as one of the most dominant female snowboarders, winning almost every competition she joins. The last time she didn't win a gold medal was at the 2017 Aspen Winter X Games, where she won bronze in the SuperPipe.