"No three-peat for Chloe Kim" Choi Ga-on claims dominant victory with 92.5 points, emerges as strong favorite for Olympic gold

[The Financial News] "The rehearsal is over. In Milan, it will be Choi Ga-on who makes the national anthem ring out."
Choi Ga-on, the "genius girl" of Korean snowboarding from Sehwa Girls' High School, overwhelmed the world in the final dress rehearsal held just before the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. It was more than just a win. It was a flawless solo run that left her rivals looking helpless.
On the 18th (Korea Standard Time) in Laax, Switzerland, Choi Ga-on stood atop the podium after posting a phenomenal score of 92.50 points in the women's halfpipe final at the 2025–2026 International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup. It was already her third FIS Snowboard World Cup victory of the season.

The event turned into a one-woman show by Choi Ga-on. After briefly taking a breather with 21.25 points in her first run, she completely dominated the halfpipe in her second run.
Her high-difficulty combo of a switch backside 720 (two rotations in the opposite stance), a backside 900 (two and a half rotations), and a frontside 1080 (three rotations) was simply untouchable. The judges responded with near-unanimous high scores. She finished almost 10 points clear of Japan's Ruka Hirano, who took second with 82.75 points. It was a performance worthy of an Olympic final.
This victory was all the more dramatic because it came in Laax, Switzerland. For Choi Ga-on, Laax was the site of heartbreak, where a back injury in 2024 forced her to undergo surgery. Yet she returned a year later to claim bronze, and then, another year on, she came back and defiantly hung a gold medal around her neck. She proved that her "golden mentality" has only grown stronger through adversity.

Naturally, attention now turns to "snowboard empress" Chloe Kim of the United States. Aiming for a third straight Olympic title, Chloe Kim has recently been struggling with a shoulder injury. Choi Ga-on, by contrast, is riding an unstoppable wave of momentum. Experts predict that, given her current form and confidence, Choi Ga-on has a very strong chance of dethroning Chloe Kim and being crowned the new "queen of snowboarding."
Through her management agency, Choi Ga-on also made it clear that she is eyeing Olympic gold, saying that her "confidence is surging."
Now, only about a month remains. Choi Ga-on's snowboard is already racing toward the golden slopes of Milan.
jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter