Choi Ga-on of Sewha High School, who won South Korea’s first Olympic gold medal in snow sports, has been diagnosed with three fractures.
Choi posted a hospital exam photo on Instagram on Feb. 19 (Korea time) with the words “3 fractures.” The results appear to show fractures in three places.
Choi won gold in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, scoring 90.25 at Livigno Snow Park in Italy early on Feb. 13.
She was injured on her first run, catching an edge on the lip of the slope during a landing after her second jump and taking a hard fall. She stayed down for an extended time, prompting medical staff to enter. On her second run, she slipped again and did not score. She rallied on her third run to complete a comeback, beating Chloe Kim of the United States, who had led through two runs with 88.00.
After winning gold, Choi said, “I tried to move my foot by putting strength from my toes,” adding, “I’m glad I was able to come down and compete again.”
Choi said upon returning to South Korea through Incheon International Airport on Feb. 16 that her knee had improved significantly, but she later disclosed the exam results on Instagram, writing that she had “three fractures.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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