Choi Ga On of South Korea won the country’s first Winter Olympic gold medal in a snow sport.
Choi, a student at Sehwa High School, scored 90.25 to take first in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. She beat American Chloe Kim, who scored 88.00.
The gold was also South Korea’s first for the national team at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and the first Olympic gold for South Korean skiing.
Choi also became the youngest Olympic champion in the event. Born in November 2008, she won at 17 years, 3 months, breaking the mark of 17 years, 10 months set by Kim at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
Choi struggled in her first two runs. In the first, she crashed hard on landing and fell upside down. She stayed down for a time and medical staff came onto the course. After a delay, she got up and rode down on her own. Her first-run score was 10.
Before her second run, Choi was initially listed as DNS (Did Not Start) but reversed the decision and dropped in.
She appeared affected by the earlier impact, with an unsteady landing on her first aerial move, then stopped the attempt and rode out. Her second run was ruled DNI (Does Not Improve).
Kim, the favorite, posted 88.00 on her first run, raising the possibility of an unprecedented third straight Olympic title in a snowboard event.
Choi responded with a clean third run, starting without hesitation and landing five aerial moves to become the first rider in the final to score 90 or higher.
After finishing the run, Choi was seen in tears as she rode down.
Kim, who did not complete her second run, tried to regain the lead on her third but fell mid-run and settled for silver. Mitsuki Ono of Japan took bronze with 85.00.
South Korea’s previous Olympic medals in skiing included Lee Sang Ho’s silver in men’s snowboard alpine at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, Kim Sang Gyeom’s silver in men’s snowboard alpine at these Games, and Yoo Seung Eun’s bronze in women’s snowboard big air. Choi, 18, is the first South Korean to win gold in a snow sport.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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