Chloe Kim’s pursuit of an unprecedented third straight Olympic gold medal has been thrown into uncertainty after the American snowboard star dislocated her shoulder during a training session in Switzerland.
Kim, the dominant force in women’s halfpipe snowboarding for nearly a decade, revealed the injury on Thursday, sharing video of the fall that caused the scare. The injury occured while Kim was training in Laax, a regular World Cup venue and a key pre-Olympic stop on the circuit. The 25-year-old landed a maneuver cleanly but lost her edge shortly afterward, sliding awkwardly across the pipe and into the wall.
With the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics less than a month away, Kim said she is still unsure whether she will be able to compete. An MRI scheduled for Friday is expected to determine the severity of the injury and the timeline for her return.
“I don’t have much clarity right now,” Kim said, adding that she is doing everything she can to remain hopeful while awaiting medical results.
Despite the dislocation, Kim said the shoulder is not causing her significant pain and that she has retained her range of motion, a potentially encouraging sign. Her main concern, she explained Thursday, is instability, noting that the joint has popped out more than once since the initial injury.
Kim emphasized that her form on snow had been strong prior to the fall, fueling optimism that she could return quickly if cleared by doctors. “I feel really good about where my snowboarding is at,” she said. “Once I’m cleared, I know I’ll be ready.”
The injury arrives at a pivotal moment in Kim’s career. Already a two-time Olympic champion, she is attempting to become the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in halfpipe snowboarding, a feat that would further cement her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Kim burst onto the Olympic stage at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, winning gold at just 17 years old, then defended her title four years later in Beijing. She secured her place on the US Olympic team for Milano Cortina last spring after winning the 2025 world championship and finishing the season ranked No 1 in the world.
In a caption accompanying the video she posted on Instagram, Kim described riding through “waves of emotions” since the fall, acknowledging both frustration and resolve. She said her immediate focus is rest and rehabilitation, with the goal of returning as soon as possible.
“The only thing I can do is rest/do everything in my power to come back as soon as possible,” she said, adding “p.s. I think I am getting old.”
