Chloe Kim secures the second Olympic gold with a massive half-pipe run.
Kim, 21, is four years older and infinitely wiser than she was when she first captured gold, and the worldâs attention, in PyeongChang after dealing with the joys and the nasty sides of sudden fame.
She has spent the last half-decade dominating the sport from every angle. In addition to her gold at PyeongChang, she claimed world championships in the halfpipe in 2019 and 2021, the two years she participated. She has 10 wins and 12 podiums in 14 starts and has won every one of the five World Cup events sheâs competed in since December 2018.
But Chloe Kim showcased a new record when she pulled off two 1080s â tricks with three complete rotations, or 1,080 degrees â off the edges of a glistening, icy 22-foot-high halfpipe in the mountains above Beijing.Â
Kim was so dominant so quickly in the final event that her only competition was herself. She wanted to break through the icy barriers at the top edge of her sport, attempting tricks no female snowboarder had ever landed in competition. When her final run came around, the gold was assured; no other riders were left to challenge her. As long as she reached the bottom of the halfpipe â whether by flipping, spinning, or sliding down on her belly â the gold medal was hers. She tried to end the competition by landing 1260 twice, but missed both attempts.
âIt was worth it for sure, 1000 percent,â she said of the attempts. âThatâs what keeps me going. I wish Iâd landed it, but next time.âShe believes that she is more prepared, with a sound support system that will help her in her journey as an athlete and on overcoming mental hurdles.
\Chloe Kim has made Olympic history at the 2022 Beijing Olympics as the first woman to win two golds in the snowboard halfpipe.
