Snoop Dogg Watches as Chloe Kim Misses Historic Third Olympic Gold
Snow swirled and Snoop Dogg provided star power, but Chloe Kim fell agonisingly short in her attempt to make Olympic snowboard history on a dramatic night at the Livigno Snow Park. The American favourite, aiming to become the first snowboarder to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals, had to settle for silver after a stunning performance from South Korean teenager Gaon Choi.
Star-Studded Support for Kim's Historic Bid
Snoop Dogg, in Italy as a special correspondent for US broadcaster NBC, joined a celebrity contingent that included halfpipe legend Shaun White and Kim's boyfriend, NFL star Myles Garrett. The rapper wore a ski jacket embossed with images of Kim, showing his support for her historic quest. However, the night would ultimately belong to an unexpected champion.
Choi's Remarkable Recovery Secures Shock Gold
Seventeen-year-old Gaon Choi recovered from a horrific-looking crash on her first run to eclipse Kim with a third-run score of 90.25. Choi's crash left her face-down and motionless in the middle of the pipe, requiring a stretcher to be called. Remarkably, she was soon able to slide to the foot of the pipe unaided and regroup for her remaining attempts.
Kim, competing in her first major competition since dislocating her shoulder in January, had looked set to soar serenely above the chaos. She delivered a solid first run and sat comfortably at the top of the leaderboard. Though she failed to improve on her second attempt, there seemed little danger to her gold medal hopes.
Dramatic Final Run Decides the Competition
Left with one final attempt to wrest back gold, Kim fell attempting a cab double 1080, the same trick that had cost her in her second run. This stranded her in second place with a score of 88.0, more than two points down on her qualification score from Thursday.
Out of nowhere, Choi delivered a stunning final run that included a switch backside nine, eclipsing her hero Kim to take gold at the same age Kim was when she won her first Olympic title in Pyeongchang. The South Korean's recovery and subsequent performance were nothing short of extraordinary.
Challenging Conditions in the Italian Alps
The competition in the Italian Alps was affected by heavy snowfall, which made conditions difficult and contributed to five crashes among the twelve finalists on their first attempts. The challenging environment added an extra layer of drama to an already absorbing contest.
Kim's silver medal means she falls just short of eclipsing former US teammate Shaun White, whose own three gold medals were split by a fourth-place finish in Sochi in 2014. The night ended with Snoop Dogg paying homage to the new champion, Gaon Choi, in a stunning twist to an Olympic snowboard final that will be remembered for years to come.
