In one of the most shocking upsets of these Winter Olympics, a 17-year-old snowboarder overcame a crash to stop Chloe Kim from winning a third straight halfpipe gold.
The drama started early in the final event for the women, when several of the snowboarders fell on the snowy halfpipe. Gaon Choi of South Korea fell hard in her first run. It took her several minutes to get back up and slide down the rest of the halfpipe.
Choi, who won three World Cup contests this season, arguably posed the biggest threat to reigning gold medalist Chloe Kim.
Kim put down a stellar first run of 88.00 points, bumping her quickly into first position. She’ll have to more chances to improve upon that score.
Feb 12, 2026; Livigno, Italy; Gaon Choi of the Republic of Korea is tended to by staff after falling on her first run in the women’s halfpipe final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Livigno Snow Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
But Choi showed her tenacity. She was initially listed DNS (did not start) for her second run, but ending up taking to the halfpipe. She struggled again.
It was the third run that brought an epic conclusion to the halfpipe drama.
Choi delivered an incredible comeback in her final runs, earning the 17-year-old a whopping score of 90.25 — enough to jump to the front of the pack.
Kim fell in her second and third runs, leaving her a few points shy of winning gold for a third straight year.
How does snow affect the halfpipe?
It’s may be too early to say how much the snow played a factor in the crashes seen during the first run.
But snow does in fact make it trickier for the snowboarders. It can slow down the halfpipe, making it harder for the boarders to gain speed. Falls can definitely be more common.
Team USA snowboarder Chloe Kim shares her thoughts on the meaning of success ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.