A golden breakthrough fueled by resilience

Choi Ga-on, 17, the youngest member of South Korea’s national snowboard team, won the country’s first Olympic gold medal in a snow event early Feb. 13 at Livigno Snow Park in Italy. She triumphed in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics despite battling injury.

Competing in her first Olympics, Choi defeated her idol, three-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim of the United States, who had been aiming for a third consecutive gold medal in the event. True to the meaning of her native Korean name, “Ga-on,” which signifies the center, she stood at the center of the podium.

In snowboard halfpipe, finalists take three runs, and rankings are determined by the single highest score rather than a combined total. That format increases the possibility of dramatic comebacks. Even so, few would have expected Choi to stage one of the most remarkable reversals in Olympic memory after tumbling down the slope during her first run and lying motionless in the snow for several moments.

Her board caught the wall of the pipe, sending her crashing onto her right knee, back and head. Although she later said she could barely feel strength in her leg, she stood up and attempted her second run, telling herself to trust her legs. She fell again. Entering the final run with a visible limp, Choi executed all five of her planned jumps cleanly, surging from 11th place to first with a score of 90.25. Many viewers were likely moved by the sight of a teenager who fell, rose, fell again and ultimately delivered the performance of her life.

Three of South Korea’s four medals at these Winter Games have been won by teenagers competing in their first Olympics. Earlier at the Milan Ice Skating Arena, 19-year-old Lim Jong-eon, the youngest member of South Korea’s short track team, claimed bronze in the men’s 1,000 meters. Lim skated in last place until the final lap, then produced a late burst to edge the fourth-place finisher by 0.06 seconds and secure a medal. “I trusted myself and skated without regret,” he said. On Feb. 10, 18-year-old Yu Seung-eun, previously little known, captured a surprise bronze in the women’s snowboard big air event using what she described as an old board purchased at a steep discount.

Although they compete in different disciplines, the three athletes share a common thread: each has overcome serious injury. In addition to her fall at these Games, Choi underwent major surgery in early 2024 after suffering a spinal fracture. Lim endured 18 months of rehabilitation after breaking his shin and ankle in middle school. Yu also struggled with significant injuries, including fractures to her ankle and wrist. Still, Choi has said, “I become stronger when I fall.” As these fearless teenagers rise after each setback, they are expanding the horizons of South Korea’s winter sports and signaling the arrival of a new generation.