Chloe Kim wins halfpipe world title and nails down spot on 2026 Olympic team

The Guardian

29-03-2025

Chloe Kim won her third snowboard halfpipe world championship Saturday in St Moritz, Switzerland, and secured a spot on the 2026 US Olympic team.
Kim, 24, landed a switch double cork 1080 and back-to-back 900s in her first run to earn a score of 93.50, enough to clinch the title with one run remaining. Japan's Sara Shimizu took silver with 90.75, while Mitsuki Ono earned bronze with 88.50.
'I think I'm back,' Kim said. 'I really started to find the joy for the sport again, and that's been a really positive change for me.'
The victory guarantees Kim's place at the Milano Cortina Olympics next February, where she will attempt to become the first snowboarder to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in halfpipe.
Kim's win caps a comeback season after a two-year break from competition. She stepped away following her second Olympic gold at the 2022 Beijing Games, citing mental health struggles and burnout. After returning to competition in January, she won the X Games in Aspen – tying Shaun White for most women's SuperPipe titles – and became the first woman to land both frontside and cab double cork 1080s in competition.
Saturday's final was delayed more than two hours due to poor weather. Kim acknowledged the conditions took a toll on the riders.
'Today was definitely a big mental battle, I think for all the ladies,' she said. 'I definitely had a couple mental breakdowns during practice, so I'm just really happy I was able to land something.'
Her second run served as a victory lap, during which she attempted a cab 1260 – another trick no woman has landed in competition – but fell on the landing.
'My favorite part about a victory lap is trying to progress the sport and try to do the craziest run I've ever done,' Kim said. 'I was hoping to put that down here, but next time.'
Kim first won the world championship in 2019 and repeated in 2021. She did not compete at the 2023 edition.
The win also solidified her status atop the World Snowboard Points List, the key criteria for early Olympic qualification. According to US Ski and Snowboard, the top-ranked American woman in the world standings after this event secures an automatic Olympic berth, provided she remains in the top three overall – a threshold Kim has met.
Kim won her first X Games gold at age 14 and a first Olympic gold at 17 in Pyeongchang. She remains one of the most dominant and decorated athletes in the sport.
'Chloe's ability to push the progression of women's halfpipe riding while staying consistent at the top is remarkable,' said US Snowboard head coach Danny Kass. 'She's not just winning – she's reinventing what's possible.'
Kim has credited her renewed success to changes she made off the snow. She began intensive therapy last summer, a move she says helped her regain her confidence and perspective.
'There was a time I couldn't imagine competing again,' Kim said earlier this season. 'Now, I'm having fun again. I've let go of what I think I'm supposed to do and just focus on what I love about snowboarding.'
The remainder of the US women's Olympic halfpipe team will be named in early 2026.