Choi Ga-on, representing the Busan public team, secured the gold medal in the women’s snowboard halfpipe event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The athlete became the youngest winner in the competition’s history after overcoming major setbacks during the finals.
Dramatic Finals Performance
On January 13 local time at Livigno Snowpark in Italy, Choi delivered a flawless third run featuring a 1080 double cork to 900 and 720 rotations, among other high-difficulty maneuvers. This performance earned her a top score and clinched the victory.
In the preliminary round on January 11, she posted 82.25 points to finish sixth out of 24 competitors and advance. However, her first final run ended in a heavy crash after slipping on the landing of a handplant, raising injury concerns. She pushed through a suboptimal second run before dominating the third.
Experts note that Choi’s bold approach paid off, as her consistent execution in later runs overcame early doubts about overreaching.
Overcoming Adversity
Following the first-run crash, Choi shared on social media that thoughts of recovery flooded her mind. Her coach encouraged her, stating they could regain lost points. Despite visible emotion and tears after confirming her 90.25 final score, she completed the event without injury.
This marks a significant milestone for Choi, who previously suffered a leg injury during practice at the 2023-2024 FIS World Cup in Laax, Switzerland, in January 2024. That incident had labeled her as injury-prone, but she demonstrated resilience here.
Reflections from the Champion
In a social media post, Choi expressed gratitude: “I sincerely thank the enthusiastic fans. In my first Olympics, I aimed for the medal. Many cheered me on, and I had plenty of lucky moments, but I didn’t give up easily and worked hard.”
She added, “Even as a first-time Olympian, my skills alone make me thankful, but competing alongside seniors through hard work brings even sweeter rewards.”
