This Video Of Chloe Kim’s Incredible Final Halfpipe Run Will Make You Gasp
As the 2018 Winter Olympics treks on, there are some big names we just can't help but sit in anticipation of. One of those is Chloe Kim, a fierce snowboarder who is already one of the sport's best contenders. Video of Chloe Kim's halfpipe run just surfaced online and it's honestly incredible. It's clear that the snowboarder's domination is more major than some people probably expected.
On Monday, Feb. 12, the 17-year-old scored a whopping 93.75 during her first run in the women's halfpipe snowboard competition, according to The New York Times. The score crushed her nearest competitor, Liu Jiayu, who landed a 89.75. Kim also smashed past fellow American Arielle Gold, the third place contestant who finished with a 85.75. In the third run, Kim landed consecutive 1080s, awarding her with an almost-perfect score of 98.25 — and earning her the title of an Olympic gold medalist.
The win is all more special, considering that Kim wasn't able to compete in the 2014 Sochi Games due to her young age (she was only 13) — even though she seemed to be one of the most promising contenders. Still, that same year, Kim won silver at the X Games. Over the next couple of years, between 2015 and 2016, she won three gold medals at the X Games and became the first athlete to do so in the competition's history before the age of 16. Video from today's competition showed just how epic — and long overdue — Kim's run was.
It was extra impressive considering that the ridiculously high score off her first run meant that she had the gold in the bag. She could have just coasted through her final run and still taken gold, but instead she turned it out. I guess she just wanted to prove she could.
But seriously, that first run was out of control too.
While some of us were nervous wrecks (me), waiting to see what place Kim would ultimately claim, the snowboarder was nonchalantly posting to her Twitter page about how hungry she was. Halfway through the competition, she posted she wished she had eaten more, because she was getting "hangry," a combination of hungry and angry.
Hours before the competition, she casually wrote that she was craving some ice cream.
And the day before the contest, she wrote that she was "so nervous," but later maintained she'd cured her feelings with "2 churros."
While Kim was busy with thoughts of her next snack, others couldn't contain their excitement over her moves.
Actress Leslie Jones' enthusiasm said it all.
It's so heartwarming to see Kim claim what should have been hers so long ago — and equally thrilling to see her do continuous flips at 34 feet in the air. According to NPR, on Feb. 12, Kim said she was "so happy" to be competing in the 2018 PyeongChang Games. She said,
When I couldn't make the team in Sochi due to my age – it felt like such a long journey. You know, going from 13 to 17 is such a big time gap. But at the end of the day, I'm here — and I'm so happy.
Still, the gold medalist previously told Elite Daily that the sport was "high pressure." She revealed,
It’s high pressure here for everyone — no matter how old you are it’s still very intense. I’m a pretty confident person. I just think it’s the fact that I always want to push myself and do the best I can. I never really look at what the other girls are doing because I just want to focus on myself and beat myself and do my best.
Clearly, her method of avoiding what other people were doing worked in her favor. Kim has finally claimed the ultimate title in snowboarding, a sport she's been competing in since she was just a kid. After dominating today's competition, four years after not being able to compete in the Olympics, imagine what could happen at the 2022 event. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled. Or as Kim might prefer, banana-peeled.
