Chloe Kim Chases Third Straight Olympic Gold in Italy

Chloe Kim could make Olympic history next month in Italy, and not even a last-minute injury is expected to stop her.

The American snowboarder arrives at the Milan Cortina Winter Games chasing something no one has ever done: winning gold in the women's halfpipe at three straight Olympics. She dominated the event in PyeongChang in 2018 at just 17 years old, then repeated in Beijing in 2022.

Now 25, Kim dislocated her shoulder during what she called "the silliest fall" on a training run in Switzerland. The injury means she can't practice until just before the February 11 competition in Livigno, Italy.

"I'm really disappointed that I can't snowboard until right before the Olympics," Kim said in an Instagram video. "I haven't got nearly the amount of reps I would have liked, but that's OK."

Here's the thing: Kim might win anyway. NBC Sports analyst Todd Richards, who competed at the 1998 Olympics, believes she's that far ahead of everyone else.

"If Chloe rides at 60% of her capacity, she will win a gold medal," Richards said. "There's not really anyone that holds a candle to her, as far as technicality."

Kim started snowboarding at age four in Southern California after her father, a Korean immigrant, introduced her to the sport. When he recognized her talent, he quit his engineering job to coach her full-time and drive her to training sessions.

She was good enough to qualify for the Olympics at 13 but had to wait because she was too young. By 17, she became the youngest woman to win Olympic gold in snowboarding with a stunning run that included back-to-back 1080s.

Her success brought endorsement deals, a Barbie doll in her likeness, and a fashion collection with ROXY. But fame came with challenges including social media hate and burnout.

After breaking her ankle in 2019, Kim took two years off and enrolled at Princeton University seeking a more normal life. She started therapy and returned to competition in 2021, immediately dominating again.

Why This Inspires

Kim's journey shows that champions aren't just defined by their victories. After feeling the weight of being her family's breadwinner since age 13 and struggling with her mental health, she chose to step away and heal.

Her comeback proves that taking care of yourself isn't quitting. It's what allows you to come back stronger.

Kim keeps pushing the sport forward by landing tricks other women haven't attempted, borrowing moves from the men's playbook. She was the first woman to land a 1260 and a cab double cork 1080 in competition.

In Livigno, she'll face competitors including American Maddie Mastro and Japan's Sena Tomita and Rise Kudo. Richards hopes someone pushes Kim to dig deep and show what she can really do.

Even recovering from injury and short on practice time, Kim represents something powerful: resilience paired with extraordinary talent makes anything possible.