Chloe Kim defended hergold medal in the women'ssnowboarding halfpipe at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.- The American star was overcome with emotion after a stellar first run all but secured victory.
Chloe Kim was overcome with joy — and relief — after winning her second Olympic gold medal.
The American superstar snowboarder put down a massive first run in the women's halfpipe final to secure the top spot on the podium before anyone else really had a chance. And when she reached the bottom of the slope at Genting Snow Park, she fell to her knees and cried.
—NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2022
"I had the worst practice of my life," Kim said into the camera after catching her breath and regaining her composure.
Then, when she received a score of 94 from the judges, tears sprung back into her eyes and she buried her head into the snow once more.
"That was, like, the best I've done it," she said later, after returning to the top of the park. "... I was just overflowing with emotion."
Two runs later, after her gold-medal win became official, the 21-year-old spoke to an NBC reporter on the broadcast and further explained the horrors of her pre-finals practice session.
"I'm not gonna lie, I had probably one of the worst practices I've ever had, which does not put you in a good place mentally, especially out here," Kim said. "So I was dealing with all sorts of emotions and self-doubt. But when I was getting ready to drop in I just reminded myself that it's a brand new run and I just have to land it now."
"And I'm so happy I was able to do that," she added.
—NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 10, 2022