Chloe Kim’s Next Big Challenge: College (original) (raw)

Sports|Chloe Kim’s Next Big Challenge: College

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/12/sports/chloe-kim-halfpipe-world-championships.html

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Chloe Kim, an 18-year-old American, during her winning run in snowboard halfpipe at the world championships on Friday.Credit...Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Feb. 12, 2019

PARK CITY, Utah — Chloe Kim called becoming the youngest female snowboarder to win an Olympic gold medal at age 17 and sharing the moment with her South Korean family in Pyeongchang last February “the perfect storm, the perfect story.”

In the year since, Kim, a vibrant Californian with an infectious smile, has been adding chapters. On Friday, she won her first world championship in the halfpipe, adding another accolade to her Olympic gold medal and her fifth X Games title, secured last month.

Continuing to push the limits of her sport, she barely missed landing a frontside double corked 1080 on Friday, the first time that she attempted the complex and dangerous trick in competition.

Kim attempted it during what was essentially a victory lap. Her first run score of 93.50 in the women’s halfpipe event quickly distanced her from the competition and ultimately secured her first world title.

Kim, the breakout star of the 2018 Olympics, has not lost in competition since January 2018. Cai Xuetong of China, who finished second Friday, is her closest rival and a likely challenger at the Beijing Winter Games in 2022.

“I think everybody knows Chloe is the boss, so I’m just so happy I got second,” said Cai, 25, who was the two-time defending world champion.

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