Who is Chloe Kim? Snowboarder chasing historic third halfpipe gold
Korean-American looking for gold once more in third Winter Olympics
Chloe Kim is the heavy favourite to win a historic third women’s halfpipe gold medal in a row at the Winter Olympics, having dominated qualification.
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The US snowboarder only needed two of her three runs at the Milan-Cortina preliminary and both of her efforts were superior to what any of the other 23 competitors achieved.
The 25-year-old is back tonight (Thursday) for the medal competition, where she will be looking to back up the golds she won in 2018 and 2022.
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Her partner, the MLS star Myles Garrett, is set to be watching at the Livigno Snow Park - having flown over from the US to cheer her on.
However, the Cleveland Browns player had not long touched down when Kim took the chance to poke fun at him on social media.
“Me scolding him for not bringing the sunscreen I bought him!" she wrote next to a photo of her prodding him in the cheek.
Here is what you need to know about a winter sports superstar.
Who is Chloe Kim?
Chloe Kim is a two-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion, and eight-time X Games champion, all in the women’s snowboard halfpipe.
The 25-year-old was born in Torrance, California, US, to South Korean parents and started snowboarding at a young age - joining the American national team in 2013.
Although she has represented the US, she has said she feels aligned to both her country of birth and where her parents are from.
“My parents left South Korea in search of a better future for their family,” she has said of her ancestry.
“They left behind everything they knew so that my sisters and I could have the chance to one day live the American dream. Their sacrifice is one I will never take for granted.”
Kim burst into international recognition with her 2018 gold medal, and she has gone onto make cameo appearances in Charlie’s Angels, The Masked Singer, and the video for Maroon 5’s song Girls Like You.
But it is her achievements on the snowboard beyond the medals that have given her legendary status even at a young age.
In 2017, she became the second rider after Shaun White to score a perfect 100, and then in 2024 she became the first woman to land a 1,260-degree spin. She then went on to become the first woman to land a double cork 1080 degree trick.
Her journey to Milano-Cortina hasn’t been totally straightforward, having dislocated her shoulder just a month ago, but she appears to be back on top form.
In a pre-Olympics social media post, Kim added: “So when I stand at the top of the halfpipe, competing on the biggest stage in sport, I do so with immense pride.
“I am representing my country but I am also representing those who took a leap of faith, who came to this beautiful nation carrying hopes, dreams, and courage.”
Kim has been dating Garrett, 30, since last year and is the youngest of three sisters.
When is the women’s half pipe final?
The women’s snowboard half pipe final will be at 6.30pm on Thursday.
The finalists are, in descending order of their qualification scores:
- Chloe Kim - United States
- Sara Shimizu - Japan
- Maddie Mastro - United States
- Rise Kudo - Japan
- Cai Xuetong - China
- Choi Ga-on - South Korea
- Queralt Castellet - Spain
- Elizabeth Hosking - Canada
- Sena Tomita - Japan
- Bea Kim - United States
- Mitsuki Ono - Japan
- Wu Shaotong - China
No British snowboarders were entered in the competition.