The Olympic halfpipe champion, who considered retirement after falling into depression following Beijing 2022, is now firmly centred on becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive halfpipe gold medals at the Olympic Games.
In doing so, the 25-year-old would join USA compatriot Shaun White as the only Olympians to be crowned Olympic champion three times in the freestyle discipline.
Kim explained, “I wanted to retire after Beijing. But I was also like, ‘I’m not going to go out like this. I’m not going to retire after the worst Olympics of my life.’ In the beginning, it was [about] winning gold medals. Now it means being able to create whatever life I want for myself and having a great team of people supporting me in that shared goal.
“I’ve realized that nothing’s in my control. The more I try to control things, the more problems I’ll have. So let me just let it all go.”
The snowboarding events at Milano Cortina 2026 will be held at Livigno Snow Park, in Valtellina.