Injuries seem to be blessings in disguise for Chloe Kim, the halfpipe snowboarding icon who’s been setting the sport ablaze. At 24, she’s already a two-time Olympic gold medalist, an eight-time X Games champion—tying Shaun White for the most SuperPipe wins in X Games history—and now a three-time world champion after her latest triumph at the 2025 FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Championships.
“Chloe’s ability to push the progression of women’s halfpipe riding while staying consistent at the top is remarkable,” U.S. Snowboard head coach Danny Kass told AP News. But what happens when the mental and physical toll threatens to derail her? Kim looks back and wonders whether her younger self would be proud of her achievements.
“I also think she’d be happy with my riding, which is all that matters to me right now. I feel like I’m finding my feet. I’m more confident than ever. I’ve found my joy again.” Kim thinks of her younger self. Training in St. Moritz tested Kim’s resilience in ways that extended beyond the halfpipe.
“Today was definitely a big mental battle, I think for all the ladies,” she told FIS, admitting to “a couple of mental breakdowns” during training after a two-hour weather delay threw her off. Reflecting on past struggles, Kim recalled a crash a decade ago that left her “bleeding and so bummed” with a bloody lip and bandaged cheek, her crush watching from the sidelines.
“I was so embarrassed,” she shared with ESPN, revealing the emotional weight of those moments. Yet, she channeled that energy to qualify first on Thursday, setting the stage for her finals run. How does she keep rising above the chaos?
Chloe Kim crushed it #MTUSA pic.twitter.com/zGY6EbJZhY
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) March 29, 2025
On March 29, 2025, Kim dropped in and made history, securing her third world halfpipe title with a first-run score of 93.50. Though she missed a grab, her run—featuring a switch double cork 1080 and a pair of 900s—outshone Japan’s Sara Shimizu (90.75) and Mitsuki Ono (88.50), who took silver and bronze. Team USA celebrated her record-tying achievement on X: “Chloe Kim crushed it.“
“I’m just happy I was able to land something,” Kim said after her win, her relief palpable. ESPN captured her renewed passion: “I think I’m back… I really started to find the joy for the sport again, and I think that’s been a really big change for me, a positive change.”
Kim has already secured a spot on the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic team and now aims to carry this momentum to become the first snowboarder to win gold in three consecutive Winter Games.
Chloe Kim has a history of injuries in the past
Diehard Chloe Kim fans were absolutely gutted watching her go down at the 2019 U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in Vail, Colorado, where she broke her ankle, according to Olympics.com. She had just dropped a solid 84.62 in the halfpipe, but teammate Maddie Mastro snagged first, snapping Chloe’s unreal eight-event winning streak.
Well, that was a disaster for her. The injury meant she had to pull out of the U.S. Grand Prix in Mammoth Lakes—her home mountain, no less! Yet, even with a broken ankle, Chloe’s spirit stayed unbreakable; she posted on social media, “Today was insane!!! Love watching women’s snowboarding progress! Unfortunately found out that I broke my ankle today so I will need to get surgery to get it fixed. So bummed I won’t be able to compete in Mammoth but I will be there to support!!”
Naturally, she underwent surgery and took her recovery seriously, using that time to heal and come back fiercer than ever. Doesn’t this setback make her comeback even more exciting?
The post “Bleeding and So Bummed”: Injuring Herself During Practise American Star Makes Snowboarding History Following 3rd Title appeared first on EssentiallySports.