LIVIGNO, Italy (AP) — Chloe Kim fell quick in her bid to develop into the primary Olympic snowboarder to win three consecutive gold medals, ending second to Choi Gaon of South Korea within the ladies’s halfpipe on Thursday.
Choi dethroned the two-time defending champion after she bounced again from an unpleasant crash that had silenced the group. The 17-year-old drew one other collective gasp when she jumped into the lead with a rating of 90.25 on her remaining run.
Kim had another shot to get again on high, however the 25-year-old American worn out on her remaining run and settled for silver. Japan’s Mitsuki Ono claimed bronze.
Choi’s probabilities within the remaining appeared to be in jeopardy when she slammed into the incline of the halfpipe and slid to the center of the course, the place she remained for a number of minutes. After being attended to by medical employees, she rode off the course unassisted.
It wasn’t clear that she would even come again for her second run, however she did and obtained it down. Then got here her flip down the halfpipe that was good for gold.
Choi grew to become the youngest X Video games winner in 2023 at age 14. Now the first-time Olympian is the primary non-American lady to win gold in snowboarding’s premier occasion since Torah Vibrant of Australia in 2010. Kaitlyn Farrington gained for the U.S. in 2014 on the Sochi Olympics, and Kim triumphed in Pyeongchang and Beijing.
Kim isn’t alone in letting the milestone of golds in three consecutive Winter Olympics slip away at these Video games. Czech Ester Ledecka fell short in Alpine snowboarding’s parallel large slalom, as did Austria’s Anna Gasser in big air. Each had been additionally two-time defending champions.
American snowboarding nice Shaun White won three gold medals on the halfpipe, however not consecutively. He gained in 2006, 2010 and 2018. He finished fourth in 2014.
White was within the crowd Thursday and cringed after Kim fell on her remaining run. Kim’s boyfriend, Cleveland Browns defensive finish Myles Garrett, was additionally in her cheering part, together with Snoop Dogg. Like many within the crowd, they’d gathered to observe one of many largest names in snowboarding go for Olympic historical past.
As an alternative, they watched Choi wipe away tears as she held up her medal, one step up on the rostrum from Kim, the rider who has been her idol.
Kim, whose dad and mom emigrated to the U.S. from South Korea, had inspired Choi all through her younger profession. Now she has handed over the Olympic title to {the teenager} she impressed.
Kim damage her shoulder 4 weeks in the past, disrupting her lead-in to the Video games. She competed sporting a brace, which didn’t sluggish her down when she dominated the sector in qualifying.
One other gold-medal celebration appeared possible after Kim scored 88 factors on her first run, whereas Choi and many of the different finalists worn out.
However Kim couldn’t keep upright on both of her remaining runs, and her rating from the primary wasn’t adequate.
