MILAN — Chloe Kim was almost home on a ride that surely could have taken her to an unprecedented third Olympic halfpipe gold medal.
A safe landing on a Cab 1080, in which she makes three full revolutions, and Kim would be golden. Again.
Coming out of the jump, she had too much air and not enough training since suffering a shoulder injury in training last month, and she lost her balance on the landing, her run and her bid to become the first snowboarder, man or woman, to win three gold medals in three consecutive Olympic Games.
Instead, Kim, the 25-year-old Torrance, finished second to South Korea’s Choi Gaon, the 17-year-old Kim has mentored in Mammoth.
Choi, after crashing on her first two runs at the Livigno Snow Park Thursday, delivered a gold medal ride on her third and final run, posting 90.25 score, surpassing Kim’s 88.00 opening round score.
“It’s the kind of story you only see in dreams,” Choi said, “so I’m incredibly happy it happened today.”
For Kim, the last month had been a nightmare. She dislocated her left shoulder in training in Switzerland last month, tearing her labrum in the process. She returned to training in just two weeks yet still managed to post the highest score in Wednesday’s qualifying round, 90.25, the same score that secured the golf medal for Choi.
“Today might’ve been my eighth day on snow this entire winter,” Kim said. “I haven’t been able to practice as much as I would’ve liked.”
Team USA’s Bea Kim was eighth at 77.00. Maddie Mastro, third in the qualifying, finished 12th and last among finalists, crashing on all three of her runs.
“Tonight was really crazy,” said Chloe Kim. “The whole time I’m just like, ‘I’m so happy I’m here.’ It wasn’t looking too good for me before I came out. Just proud of myself for landing a run and walking away with a medal.
“I wish I had that picture-perfect moment where I had all the training I wanted to. I wish I wasn’t injured. I wish I could have landed the run I wanted to out here, but it’s life and I’m so proud of myself for dealing with all these variables and still coming out and giving it my best.
“I feel amazing. It wasn’t looking too good for me a month ago, and I’ve hardly gotten to practice, so the fact that I was able to come out tonight, all this pressure in the world and land a run, I’m just so proud of myself.”
Some of the sting of the loss for Kim was eased by the fact that the gold went to Choi.
“It was so inspirational,” Kim said. “It’s so funny because she won her first Olympic gold medal at the same age as I did. It’s such a full-circle moment.
“I’ve known Gaon since she was little, and it means a lot to see that I’ve inspired the next generation and they’re now out here killing it.”
But Choi struggled on her first two runs.
“During the final, mentally it was so tough,” Choi said. “But right now I am the happiest.
“My knees are a bit bad, but I feel like I’m overcoming it all with happiness.”
“It wasn’t so much about having huge resolve,” Choi said of her final run. “I just kept thinking about the technique I was originally doing.”
Kim’s immediate plan is to return to the U.S. and undergo shoulder surgery.
What her plans are after that, she wouldn’t say.
“You’ll have to stay tuned about that.”
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