Chloe Kim on the Verge of Snowboarding History at 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics
American snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim is one run away from becoming the first snowboarder in history to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe — a feat no man or woman has ever achieved.
Kim, 25, took the top spot in Wednesday’s qualifying round out of 24 riders, posting a score of 90.25 at Livigno Snow Park. She enters Thursday’s final having already won gold at both the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Games.
What makes the achievement even more remarkable is the physical toll it has required. Kim nearly missed the Milan Cortina Games entirely after suffering a shoulder injury during a training run last month in Switzerland. After being cleared to compete, she said her shoulder will require surgery once the event concludes — but for now, it is holding up.
“It hasn’t popped out since it happened, which is awesome,” Kim said. “I feel like it’s trending towards the right direction. I will need surgery after this event, though. But it feels really good.”
Kim is widely regarded as the greatest women’s snowboarder in the sport’s history. At just 17 years old in 2018, she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal. She is also a three-time world champion and eight-time X Games champion.
Standing between Kim and history are Japan’s Sara Shimizu and fellow American Maddie Mastro, who finished second and third respectively in qualifying.
Despite the pressure of chasing history, Kim says she is approaching the final with calm confidence. “I’m really happy with who I’ve become,” she said. “Going into these Games, I felt really at ease and calm. I know what I’m here to do.”
