Livigno (Italy) (AFP) – US snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim said Thursday she was proud of her “baby” after South Korean teenager Choi Gaon dethroned her as Olympic women’s halfpipe champion. Choi, 17, recovered from two falls to post a winning score of 90.25 at Livigno Snow Park, pushing two-time defending champion Kim (88.00) into the silver medal position.
“She’s my baby,” said Kim, 25. “I’ve known her since she was so little, and I’m so proud of her, you know. Now I think I kind of know how my mentors felt when I hit them on the stage. Like, I’m seeing it for the first time, and it’s truly a special moment. And I think I always wanted to be there for her, and I still do. And I just think I want to do what my mentors did for me and show up for her.”
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Kim said she had encouraged World Cup leader Choi after the South Korean suffered a brutal fall during her first run. A further tumble on her second outing put her under huge pressure but she delivered in style. “When she showed up so clutch for her third run and won the damn thing, like, that is incredible,” said Kim. “I’m so proud of her, and I think she did it in a very, very stylish way.”
The American, who was also 17 when she won her first Olympic gold at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, said she was proud to have been a trailblazer for women in the sport. “It means so much to me to know that I’ve inspired a whole new generation,” she said. “I’m aware that I can’t do this forever. And I think seeing that this sport is left in very good hands.”
Kim was aiming to become the first snowboarder in history to win three straight Olympic titles at the Milan-Cortina Games but fell agonisingly short. She suffered a shoulder injury last month which disrupted her build-up to the Games and said she would now have surgery. “A month ago I wasn’t even sure if I would be here,” she said. “And so I get emotional thinking about it, but I really worked so hard to get here. And so this means so much to me.”
© 2024 AFP
