"I want to hone my skills further and become the best snowboarder in the world. I'm still young with plenty of time and possibilities ahead, so I plan to gradually increase my difficulty level."
Choi Ga-on, the 18-year-old high school snowboarder from Sewha Girls' High School, shared her aspirations at a media day held at Olympic Parktel in Seoul on March 9. She is the athlete who won Korea's first-ever gold medal in a snow sport at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics in the snowboard halfpipe event.
However, fans will not see her on the halfpipe for the time being. Post-Olympic examinations revealed fractures in three areas, and she is currently recovering after treatment. She plans to skip competitions this season and prepare for the next season in the United States depending on her recovery progress.
"Since I haven't been snowboarding for a while, my goal during summer training is to safely practice what I've been doing while regaining my feel for the board," Choi said.
On February 13, Choi defeated Chloe Kim of the United States, who was aiming for her third consecutive Olympic title, to claim gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe at the Winter Olympics. Despite falling and injuring her knee in her first finals run, she displayed remarkable fighting spirit, scoring 90.25 points in her third and final run to dramatically clinch the gold medal in a stunning comeback.
When discussing how life has changed since winning gold, she revealed her typical high school student side. "These days, people recognize me wherever I go, which surprises me and makes me happy. Attending the encouragement luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae was memorable, and I was even more excited to see a congratulatory performance by the boy group Cortis, whom I've always liked. I once received a video letter from Cortis through a TV program, but when I actually met them, I was too shy to say anything."
She has now returned to Sewha Girls' High School, spending time as an ordinary high school student. "I had a pajama party I promised my friends, and we ate Yeoptteok rose flavor and malatang for two days straight," she said with a smile.
Choi also did not forget to cheer for the Korean Paralympic team currently competing in Italy. The Korean Paralympic team is performing well, with para sports star Kim Yun-ji of BDH Paras winning gold in the women's biathlon sprint sitting 12.5km, followed by Lee Je-hyeok of CJ Logistics claiming bronze in the men's snowboard cross lower limb impairment category (SB-LL2).
"I saw that they won medals. Congratulations, and I will keep sending them golden energy," she said. "I hope they stay injury-free and keep fighting."
