Chloe Kim Reveals the Training Behind Her Olympic Halfpipe Gold
Snowboarder Chloe Kim has already won two back-to-back gold medals in the halfpipe competition.
For the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, she'll be back to defend her title.
Chloe Will Compete For Gold Again
At just 17 years old, Kim took first place at the women's halfpipe, making her the youngest woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal.
Four years later, in 2022, at the Beijing Winter Olympics, she successfully defended her title, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the halfpipe.
Now, in February, if she wins gold again at 25, she'll become the first person to ever win three back-to-back halfpipe gold medals.
In Italy, where this year’s Olympics are taking place, she’ll first compete in the qualifiers before advancing to the finals, where she’ll have three runs for gold — a process that takes “less than two minutes total,” she told Elle.
“When I’m training, it’s hours and hours and days and months and years that I put into that moment,” she said. “As long as I know I did my best and there’s nothing I could have done to do better, then that’s pretty damn successful to me.”
The Olympian noted that this time around, fun is key, and has reframed her worrying thoughts to: "'I’m really good at this, and when I do get it, it’s going to be freaking awesome. So why not just go for it?'"
"I’m therapized as hell now," Kim said. "I’ve been going intensively for almost two years."
Her coach of over ten years, Rick Bower, shared with Elle that mental health is a big part of her training, and that "Chloe’s got several tricks that only one or two other athletes are doing," before adding, "She’s definitely the woman to beat out there."
Who Is Chloe Kim?
Kim is a Korean-American snowboarder who grew up in Orange County. She started the sport when she was just four years old.
Her father, Jong, was curious about the sport, and since his wife wasn't too interested, he brought along his very "active" daughter, Chloe, who is the youngest of three.
When Kim was five years old, a coach approached them to join the team at Mountain High the following year. Her father said he saw his daughter's potential and invested in it.
Jong coached her based on Shaun White — who Kim has since tied for "most X Games superpipe gold medals" — and other snowboarders he studied online, before quitting his job as an engineer to support Kim's training full-time.
Qualifications for the women's halfpipe are on Wednesday, February 11. The finals will follow on Thursday, February 12.