Choi Ga-on

In this Korean name, the family name is Choi.
Choi Ga-on
Personal information
Born (2008-11-03) 3 November 2008
Seoul, South Korea
Korean name
Hangul
최가온
RRChoe Gaon
MRCh'oe Kaon
Sport
CountrySouth Korea
SportSnowboarding
Event
Halfpipe
Medal record
Women's snowboarding
Representing  South Korea
Olympic Games
2026 Milano Cortina Halfpipe
Junior World Championships
2022 Leysin Halfpipe
Winter X Games
2023 Aspen SuperPipe

Choi Ga-on (Korean: 최가온; pronounced [tɕʰwɛ ɡɑon]; born 3 November 2008) is a South Korean snowboarder.

Career

Choi competed at the 2022 FIS Snowboarding Junior World Championships where she won a gold medal in the halfpipe event.[1] In January 2023, she competed at the Winter X Games XXVII and won a gold medal in the SuperPipe event. At 14 years, two months, she broke Chloe Kim's record as the youngest X Games snowboard halfpipe gold medalist.[2][3]

During the 2023–24 FIS Snowboard World Cup, Choi made her World Cup debut on 16 December 2023 and won the halfpipe event with a score of 92.75, defeating the 2022–23 FIS Snowboard World Cup crystal globe winner Mitsuki Ono.[4][5]

During the 2025–26 FIS Snowboard World Cup season opener on 11 December 2025 she won the halfpipe event with a score of 92.75.[6] A week later on 19 December 2025, she won the halfpipe for the second consecutive week with a score of 94.50.[7][8] She was the only rider in the final to score above 90 points.[9] On 17 January 2026 she won her third consecutive World Cup halfpipe event.[10]

In January 2026, Choi was selected to represent South Korea at the 2026 Winter Olympics.[11] She competed in the halfpipe event and won a gold medal with a score of 90.25.[12] She overcame a leg injury during competition to defeat two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim, becoming the first South Korean athlete to win gold in snowboarding at the Winter Olympics.[13] At 17 years, 101 days, she became the youngest Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding history, surpassing the previous record set by Red Gerard at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Leysin 2022 Park & Pipe Junior World Championships recap". fis-ski.com. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  2. ^ Park, Sae-jin (30 January 2023). "14yr-old snowboarder Choi Ga-on breaks youngest record in Winter X Games' superpipe event". ajupress.com. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  3. ^ Bruton, Michelle (28 January 2023). "14-Year-Old Snowboarder Gaon Choi Just Broke Chloe Kim's X Games Record As Youngest Halfpipe Winner". forbes.com. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  4. ^ "15-year-old phenom Gaon Choi shines in Copper". fis-ski.com. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Choi and Hirano on top at Mountain Copper halfpipe". fis-ski.com. 17 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  6. ^ "Japanese men dominate Secret Garden Halfpipe, Choi wins World Cup opener". fis-ski.com. 12 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  7. ^ Fast, Annie (19 December 2025). "Choi Gaon and Yamada Ryusei win snowboarding halfpipe World Cup at Copper Mountain as Chloe Kim falls in practice". olympics.com. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ^ "Snowboarder Choi Gaon wins 2nd consecutive halfpipe World Cup title". The Korea Herald. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Back-to-back wins for Choi as Yamada claims his first World Cup victory". fis-ski.com. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Choi makes it three in a row as James claims fifth Laax Open win". fis-ski.com. 17 January 2026. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
  11. ^ "For prodigy Choi Ga-on, Milan is a chance to dethrone half-pipe queen Chloe Kim". Korea JoongAng Daily. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Winter Olympics: Chloe Kim stunned in snowboard final". Yahoo Sports. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Choi Ga-on Secures South Korea's First Snowboarding Gold". The Chosun Daily. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
  14. ^ Nee, Liam (12 February 2026). "Three-peat denied: Gaon Choi stuns for halfpipe gold over defending champ Chloe Kim". NBColympics.com. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
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