Snowboarder Choi Ga-on wins Olympic gold — in pictures

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on made history Thursday, capturing Korea’s first Olympic gold medal in a snow event by winning the women’s halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy.

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on, center, celebrates while holding the gold medal during the women’s halfpipe medal ceremony at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 12. From left are silver medalist Chloe Kim of the United States, Choi and bronze medalist Mitsuki Ono of Japan. [NEWS1]

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on made history Thursday, capturing Korea’s first Olympic gold medal in a snow event by winning the women’s halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy.

The 17-year-old became the youngest athlete ever to win the event, breaking the previous record set by her idol, two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim of the United States. Choi achieved the milestone seven months earlier than Kim had when she claimed her first Olympic title in 2018.

Choi struggled in her opening two runs. She faltered on her first attempt after losing balance on a cab 1080 and crashing into the wall of the halfpipe. Her second run also fell short as she was unable to land her planned tricks cleanly.

Facing pressure in her final run, Choi delivered a near-flawless performance. She began with a switch backside 900 and followed with a cab 720, a frontside 900 melon grab and a backside 900 stalefish. She closed with a frontside 720 Indy grab, earning a winning score of 90.25 points.

Halfpipe snowboarding features athletes performing aerial tricks on a U-shaped course, with judges evaluating height, difficulty, execution and overall flow.

Kim finished with 88.00 points to secure silver, while Japan’s Mitsuki Ono took bronze with 85.00.

Choi Ga-on of Korea performs during the qualification of the women's halfpipe snowboard event on Feb. 12 at the Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy. [YONHAP]

Choi Ga-on falls and is tended by the medical team on Feb. 12 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [YONHAP]

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on waits tearfully for her score after completing her third run in the women’s halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 12, later securing the gold medal with a score of 90.25 after falling in her first two runs. [NEWS1]

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on celebrates after completing her third run in the women’s halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 12, where she rebounded from falls in her first two runs to score 90.25 in her final attempt and secure the gold medal. [NEWS1]

Choi Ga-on performs her third and final run in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 12, with the image created by layering six photos capturing the second jump of her final run. [YONHAP]

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on wipes away tears after competing in the women’s halfpipe final on Feb. 12 at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. After falling in her first two runs, Choi scored 90.25 in her third to claim the gold medal. [NEWS1]

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on, center, stands on the podium on Feb. 12 after winning the gold medal at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. [YONHAP]

Silver medalist United States' Chloe Kim, left, claps as gold medalist Korea's Choi Ga-on celebrates winning the the women's snowboarding halfpipe finals on Feb. 12 at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy. [AP/YONHAP]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY LEE JI-WON [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]