Two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim was unexpectedly defeated by her 17-year-old protégé, Gaon Choi, in a snowboarding halfpipe competition, marking a significant upset and the rise of a new star.
In a surprising turn of events in Livigno, Italy, two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim, 25, was dethroned in a snowboarding halfpipe competition by her 17-year-old protégé, Gaon Choi of South Korea. Kim, aiming for a third consecutive gold, had been battling a shoulder injury requiring surgery, which affected her practice. She also shared past struggles with burnout from the sport before rediscovering her passion. Choi, despite a brutal fall in her initial run, recovered to deliver a technically precise winning run in the third and final round, scoring 90.25. Kim, as the last rider, had a chance to reclaim the lead but fell on her final run. Kim expressed immense pride in Choi, seeing her as the next generation. The article underscores the historical difficulty of achieving a "three-peat" in Olympic snowboarding, with legends like Shaun White also failing. Despite the loss, Kim felt like a "winner" for persevering and inspiring a new generation, acknowledging her own career's finite nature.
