Chloe Kim Tops Snowboarding Halfpipe Qualifying at Olympics 2026

Chloe Kim's quest for a third straight gold in women's snowboard halfpipe is on track after she had the highest score in qualifying Wednesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The 25-year-old made an early statement, putting together a run that earned a score of 90.25 from the judges.

Maddie Mastro and Bea Kim will also represent Team USA in Thursday's final. They placed third and 10th, respectively.

Based on how she has performed in the past, Kim may have another level to reach when there are medals up for grabs. In the 2018 final, she opened with a 93.75 and nearly had a perfect score (98.25) in her third run. Four years later, 94.00 was the winning score.

Kim appears to be back to her best even after a torn labrum disrupted her Olympic preparations.

"I think once we're in there and once we're focusing on what we want to do, the tricks we want to do, everything, my mind goes completely blank," she said in the buildup to qualification, per NPR's Rachel Treisman. "I'm not thinking about my shoulder. I'm just thinking about what I'm trying to accomplish in this run. And yeah, it's been working out pretty well."

Nothing is guaranteed when it comes to the final. For now, Kim's exactly where she wants to be, and qualifying in first means she'll be the last snowboarder to go. That allows her to know exactly what it will take to be at the top of the podium.

Perhaps Mastro or Kim will join her there. Mastro was a bronze medalist in the 2019 Snowboarding World Championships and collected a silver in 2021. For Kim, 19, her best shot at a medal might be in another four years.