At the top of the halfpipe, seconds away from destiny or disappointment, Chloe Kim took a long pause and a deep breath.
For an hour, it seemed like Kim was cruising toward a third straight gold medal and Olympic history for any snowboarder, man or woman. And then, out of nowhere, a metaphorical thunderbolt pierced through the snowy night sky.
It was 17-year-old Gaon Choi, whose body had been twisted and bruised by two gnarly falls, standing up and stomping a run that had taken the lead and put Kim in a position she hadn’t experienced very often in her forever career.
This time, the coronation was off. The pressure was on.
Kim couldn’t help but think about the symmetry of her first Olympics eight years ago, a 17-year-old about to introduce herself to the world.
“I was in very similar shoes once upon a time,” she said. “It’s such a full circle moment.”
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