Choi Ga-on makes women’s halfpipe final as Chloe Kim seizes pole position; markets swing ahead of Milan-Cortina showdown
Choi Ga-on kept her gold-medal bid alive by reaching the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, even as two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim surged to the top of the leaderboard and reshaped the outlook heading into Thursday’s decider in Eastern Time.
Qualifying recap: solid but short of the top mark
In qualifying earlier this week, Choi Ga-on scored 82.25 to place sixth out of 24 riders and advance among the top 12 to the final. Kim stamped early authority with a 90.25 in her opening run, creating an eight-point cushion over Choi and signaling that her pursuit of a third consecutive Olympic title is very much on track.
The result represented a notable shift from pre-event expectations. Choi entered Milan-Cortina with momentum after three World Cup wins this season and had been widely viewed as a co-favorite. Kim, nursing a shoulder issue from January, faced questions about her readiness. On the pipe, though, the American delivered the most complete package in qualifying while Choi advanced without emptying the tank.
Odds tilt sharply toward Kim after dominant run
Following qualifying, global betting markets quickly repriced the women’s halfpipe. Kim’s gold odds tightened to roughly 1.5–1.7 in many books, with some pricing her even shorter, while Choi’s number drifted to around 5.0 from near 4.5 pre-qualifying. The market swing reflects Kim’s superior baseline score and the perception that she has room to add difficulty, but it also bakes in Choi’s proven ability to escalate in finals.
Choi has made a habit of rallying when it counts. All three of her World Cup victories this season were clinched with second-run turnarounds, a pattern that keeps her firmly in the medal conversation despite the deficit.
Choi’s measured response: “I haven’t shown half my arsenal”
Choi struck a calm tone after booking her final berth, noting that her qualifying approach was intentionally conservative and focused on rhythm. She said on television that she has not yet shown half of what she can do, hinting at upgrades planned for the final. The 18-year-old has repeatedly thrived under pressure this winter, and the sixth-place seed could help ease the burden of expectation as she lines up for the sport’s biggest stage.
With Kim setting the pace and Choi plotting to raise her ceiling, the final shapes up as a duel between an established legend seeking an unprecedented Olympic three-peat and a fast-rising contender aiming to flip the script.
How the final will be decided
The women’s halfpipe final features 12 riders, each taking three runs, with the single highest score counting. Judges weigh height, difficulty, amplitude, variety, and execution. Consistency matters, but one perfect, high-difficulty run can still win the day—even against a higher qualifying mark. That framework keeps strategic pathways open for Choi, who can sequence progressively riskier runs to close the gap.
The medal session is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, in the early afternoon Eastern Time, with the women’s final expected to begin around 12:50 p.m. ET. With stable weather and a well-prepared pipe in Livigno, conditions should favor riders who can push amplitude while maintaining clean landings deep in the transition.
Another Korean breakthrough on the men’s side
Korean snowboarding’s momentum in Milan-Cortina is not limited to Choi. Lee Chae-woon advanced to the men’s halfpipe final after an assured qualifying run that included a smooth five-hit sequence and a technical double-cork variation, securing a historic first Olympic final appearance for a Korean man in the discipline. While the spotlight is squarely on Choi and Kim in the women’s event, Lee’s performance underscores a broader ascent for the program.
All eyes now turn to Thursday’s final in Eastern Time. Kim’s commanding benchmark makes her the one to catch, but Choi Ga-on’s track record of second-run fireworks—and her assurance that she has more to reveal—keeps the gold race very much alive.
