Snowboarder Choi Ga-on reportedly diagnosed with three fractures after winning gold

Korean snowboarder Choi Ga-on has reportedly been diagnosed with three fractures just days after winning gold in the women’s halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Choi Ga-on, the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic snowboarding gold medalist, left, uploads an Instagram post with the caption ″3 fractures″ on Feb. 19. [YONHAP, SCREEN CAPTURE]

Korean snowboarder Choi Ga-on has reportedly been diagnosed with three fractures just days after winning gold in the women’s halfpipe at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Choi revealed the injuries on Thursday in a social media post. The caption read, “3 fractures,” but did not specify the location and extent of her injuries.

Choi scored 90.25 points in the women's halfpipe final at Livigno Snow Park in Italy on Feb. 13 to claim the Olympic title. She won despite crashing hard on her first run.

Though a stretcher was brought in after the incident, the athlete got back on the board.

“I tried to move my feet by putting strength from my toes,” Choi said at a press conference. “I was fortunately able to [...] compete again.”

Choi fell again in the second run. However, in the final third run, she endured the pain and delivered a flawless performance to secure the gold medal.

Choi’s pain was evident as she, supported by her fellow competitors, limped onto the podium.

Upon returning to Korea through Incheon International Airport on Monday, Choi told reporters, “My knee has improved a lot now,” adding, “I plan to go to the hospital for a checkup.”

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 JANG GU-SEUL [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]