Choi Gaon of Korea performs in the course of the qualification stage of the ladies’s halfpipe on the Worldwide Ski Federation World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado, Wednesday. Yonhap
Persevering with her robust kind forward of her first Winter Olympics, Korean snowboarder Choi Gaon has topped the qualification stage within the ladies’s halfpipe at her newest World Cup cease.
Choi earned 93 factors to win Warmth 2 within the qualification section of the Worldwide Ski Federation Snowboard World Cup in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Wednesday (native time).
Choi, 17, is contemporary off her first World Cup victory of the season — and her first in two years — in China final Friday, boosting her medal hopes on the Milan-Cortina Winter Video games in February.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and Korean American star Chloe Kim received Warmth 1 with 90.33 factors. The highest 5 boarders from every of the 2 teams certified for the ultimate, scheduled for midday Friday (native time), or 4 a.m. Saturday (Korean time).
Choi and Kim had been the one two boarders in both group to attain greater than 90 factors.
Kim didn’t compete in China final week when Choi reached the highest of the rostrum. They’ve gone head-to-head at three earlier World Cup occasions — in January 2024 in Laax, Switzerland, in January 2025 in the identical Swiss city, and in February 2025 in Aspen, Colorado.
Within the first one, Choi injured her again within the qualification stage and missed the ultimate. In January this yr, Kim completed first with 96.50 factors and Choi led to third place with 93.25 factors.
Within the following month, Kim as soon as once more held off Choi for the gold with 91.75 factors, whereas Choi completed second with 88.75 factors.
In addition they competed on the world championships in March this yr in Engadin, Switzerland, with Kim being topped the champion and Choi ending in twelfth place.
