Korea's Choi Ga-on Eyes Third Medal in Snow Sports at Milan-Cortina 2026

South Korea's ski and snowboard team, having already achieved its best-ever Winter Olympics performance with one silver medal (Kim Sang-gyeom in snowboard parallel giant slalom) and one bronze medal (Yoo Seung-eun in snowboard big air), is now aiming for yet another medal. The spotlight falls on Choi Ga-on (18, Sehwa Girls' High School), the ace of women's snowboard halfpipe.

Choi will compete in the women's snowboard halfpipe qualifying round at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on February 11 at 6:30 p.m. (Korea time).

Choi is a rising star who won the prestigious extreme sports competition X Games in 2023 at the youngest age on record (14 years and 2 months). After spending a year in rehabilitation due to a back injury in 2024, she recently returned to competition and has secured three victories this season on the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup circuit, ranking first in the discipline. She is considered the only contender capable of stopping Chloe Kim (USA), the 2018 Pyeongchang and 2022 Beijing champion, from achieving an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic title. U.S. business magazine Forbes, just before the Olympics opened, praised Choi as "the strongest challenger to Chloe Kim, who is seeking a historic Olympic three-peat."

In women's snowboard halfpipe, athletes compete in two qualifying runs, with the top 12 advancing to the final. The medals will be decided in the final on February 13.