Born fearless: how teen snowboarder leaned on competitive fire to win stunning gold

Gold medallist Choi Gaon of Korea reacts on the podium after winning the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 12. Reuters-Yonhap

MILAN — Teen snowboarder Choi Gaon, freshly crowned as the women's halfpipe champion at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in northern Italy, believes she was born fearless.

At least, her competitive fire burns so bright that it often extinguishes what little fear she may develop during competition.

The 17-year-old had to summon every bit of that fire Thursday at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, north of Milan, where she bounced back from a potentially devastating fall to soar to the improbable gold medal.

"I've always been fearless," Choi said at a press conference at Korea House in downtown Milan on Saturday, two days after beating two-time defending champion and Korean American superstar Chloe Kim for her first Olympic gold. "I think my competitive drive overrides fear. Growing up with an older sister and an older brother must have helped."

Choi was regarded as a medal contender entering the halfpipe final, having captured three World Cup titles this season. But her medal hopes seemed all but dashed when Choi took a nasty fall while trying to complete the first of her three runs down the pipe.

She stayed down for a few minutes while being tended to by medics. She eventually left the flat area under her own power, though she barely had any strength in her legs at that moment.

"As soon as I went down, I started thinking I had to get right back up, but I couldn't put any weight on my legs," Choi said. "Medics told me if I got on a stretcher, I had to be moved to a hospital. But I thought I was going to regret it if I gave up my Olympics right there. I wanted to take my time, but they told me I had to be quick to get the competition going. I started moving my toes and gradually gained strength back in my legs."

Even then, performing another run didn't seem feasible or even sensible. The "DNS (Did Not Start)" sign flashed next to Choi's name on the official leaderboard before her second run, with her coaches telling the boarder not to risk anything.

"I told my coaches that I would absolutely not do a DNS," she said. "My legs got better as I started walking around a little. So we made the last-minute change, and I decided to keep competing."

Choi fell again in her second run, but she somehow found enough in the tank to complete her third run and earn 90.25 points for Korea's very first Olympic gold in a snow sport.

She was in tears even before her final score was announced.

"My body was sore, but I wasn't really nervous before the third run. I was only thinking about my tricks," she said. "My coaches said I could just give up if my legs hurt too much. But I wanted to finish it because this was the Olympics. And at the end, I was so proud of myself for finishing that run."

Though Choi is still a teenager, she will likely spark an interest in snowboarding among youngsters back home. Nothing inspires a new generation of athletes quite like an Olympic gold.

Choi Gaon of Korea reacts during the Women's Snowboard Halfpipe of the Snowboarding competitions at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 12. EPA-Yonhap

Her message to her future rivals was simple.

"The most important thing in halfpipe is to have fun," Choi said. "I hope they enjoy themselves on the slope."

Asked if Choi herself has followed that mantra, she said: "I grew up having so much fun snowboarding. As the Olympic Games approached, I started feeling a little more pressure and nerves, but I still tried my best to enjoy myself. I think it all worked out."

Choi said she also learned how to better handle growing media attention.

"When I first started reading articles on me, I felt a bit embarrassed," she said. "But then I tried to see it from another perspective and started appreciating people's interest in what I do."

Who didn't win the halfipipe title this time generated as much buzz as who did. Kim was trying to become the first snowboarder to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals and seemed poised for that bit of history after posting the best score in the first run with 88.00 points.

Kim, though, wasn't able to top that mark and watched as Choi passed her in the third run.

The two have built a close relationship that goes back years, with Kim having called Choi "my baby" and Choi talking about her admiration for Kim at every opportunity.

The level of Choi's respect for Kim is such that a part of Choi wanted Kim to win the gold this time.

"She has always been an incredible mentor for me," Choi said. "When she gave me a big hug at the end, I felt so happy that I started crying. It was overwhelming to realize that I just beat her. As excited as I was to finish ahead of her, I felt a bit sad, too."

Choi said she feels blessed to have accomplished so many of her goals at such a young age, and she will focus on improving on a daily basis, instead of setting long-term goals.

"I want to become a better snowboarder than now," she said. "The run I had at the Olympics here wasn't my best one. I will try to be more proficient with my techniques and also be stronger mentally."