"Kim, 25, was within arm's reach of becoming the first halfpipe snowboarder to win three consecutive Olympic golds. Despite a last-minute shoulder injury, she cruised easily through Wednesday's qualifiers, which were actually her first competition of the season. And she was looking like a lock through much of Thursday's final under a light nighttime snowfall in Livigno which hinged on the best of three runs."
"Kim's strong first showing gave her 88 points and an early lead, which she held for the majority of the competition as many other contenders including her U.S. teammates Bea Kim and Maddy Mastro fell on one or more of their runs. Choi also took a heavy fall on her opening run, needing a concussion check. She almost missed her second turn, only to fall again. But an impressive third run propelled her to the top of the leaderboard, with 90.25 points."
Gaon Choi, 17, captured Olympic halfpipe gold after recovering from a dramatic opening crash and two falls to deliver a 90.25-point final run. Chloe Kim, 25, settled for silver after falling on her last attempt and remaining on an earlier score of 88 points. Kim had been aiming for a historic third consecutive Olympic halfpipe gold, had a last-minute shoulder injury, and had cruised through qualifiers that were her first competition of the season. The final in Livigno took place under light nighttime snowfall and used the best-of-three format. Choi and her team reacted with emotional celebration, and Kim embraced Choi at the finish.
Read at www.npr.org
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