The Olympian, who won gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe at the 2018 PyeongChang Games and the 2022 Beijing Games, talks with PEOPLE about going for more
NEED TO KNOW
- Chloe Kim spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about her chance to "three-peat" at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The decorated medalist could make history as the first athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in the women's snowboarding snowboard halfpipe event
- Kim explained she doesn't feel the "pressure" to three-peat, but feels a different kind of pressure instead
Chloe Kim is the epitome of chill.
For an athlete who has the chance to make history as the first person to complete a "three-peat" in the women's snowboard halfpipe event if she wins gold at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, you'd think Kim would be nervous.
But in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE three months out from the Winter Games' start, Kim tells us otherwise. Rather, she reveals a different kind of "pressure" ahead of her return to defend her gold medal title for Team USA.
"I don't really feel that type of pressure," the 25-year-old snowboarding phenom tells PEOPLE of her chance to make history.
LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty
Chloe Kim celebrates during the victory ceremony after the women's snowboard halfpipe final event during the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.The pressure that Kim says she feels, however, is a feeling that will influence her performance in the event, which will have her riding from one wall to the other, launching herself many feet into the air while ripping a series of acrobatic maneuvers before landing.
"I think the pressure I feel is wanting to do the best that I can and see what happens from there — but I just really want to enjoy this journey more than anything I think," she says, before sharing how her run in Cortina will differ from years past.
"At each Olympics I always go into it with a new set of goals," she says, sharing, "And I think this time I just really want to enjoy the experience and have a good time."
The Milan Winter Games will be Kim's third consecutive Olympics. She made her debut in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games (where she won the gold medal in the women's snowboard halfpipe) and returned for the 2022 Beijing Games (where earned gold once again).
The California native also shed light on her training approach for the Winter Olympics this year, specifically at this point in the timeline with the Winter Games quickly approaching its Feb. 6 kickoff with the opening ceremony in Milan, Italy.
"I think training for me right now is going to stay the same," she tells PEOPLE in November. "I try not to change too much. Try to just stay in the same vibe and rhythm as I always do, so I think that'll work out for me in the end."
Maddie Meyer/Getty
Chloe Kim with her gold medal at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.The snowboarder, who admits that she is "not a fan of the cold" despite her career in it ("I was born and raised in Southern California!" she laughs), then shared how she balances self-care with her fearlessness approach to a sport that undoubtedly comes with dangers and risks.
"I think self-care is always going to be a priority for me," she says. "And I think the more I take care of myself, the more fearless I can be. It's just all about confidence. In my sport the more confident you are, the better."
She adds, "And I think I'm able to feel strong and confident and know that I'm going to be amazing because I know I take good care of myself."
As for how Kim channels her fearless energy?
"I was just born with it," she quips.
Kim's zen mindset ahead of the Winter Games has drastically changed since she last spoke with PEOPLE about the upcoming Olympics in November 2024.
“Don’t get it twisted… I’m in my head,” the gold medalist told PEOPLE at the time. "I'm a human being too. I get stressed, I cry myself to sleep. Like this is no joke and it's really intense. I know it's going to be stressful and suck sometimes, but it's also going to be great."
"And that's all I can look forward to," she continued. "And at the end of the day, I know that I will always be doing my best and that's all I can strive for honestly."
Kim also opened up about the draw that keeps her going outside of "the accolades or the accomplishments," despite "still" wanting more. She cited "the need to keep snowboarding" and "keep pushing myself" to see how much she can accomplish.
"I think I've always had that since I was a little girl," the fierce competitor concluded, making known, "I could never quit."
Read the original article on People
Category: General Sports
