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- U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim won the gold medal in the women’s halfpipe with ease.
- Kim’s first run was dominant enough to win her the gold medal through three rounds, but after winning the gold, she went for a third run as a victory lap.
- On her third and final run, Kim threw down back-to-back 1080s, her specialty, becoming the first woman to do so in Olympic history.
Chloe Kim cruised to a gold medal in the women’s halfpipe final on Tuesday in Pyeongchang with one of the most dominant performances of the Winter Olympics.
The 17-year-old snowboarder, who entered the games as the heavy-medal favorite, practically sealed a gold medal on the first of three runs.
Kim scored a 93.75, several points higher than the next closest competitor, and did so while leaving plenty of fuel in the tank.
In between her first and final runs, she tweeted about breakfast while the competition failed to come even close to touching her, with the second-highest score coming in at 89.
As the last athlete in the order, Kim won the gold medal before her final run even began, but took a third run as a victory lap. With the gold medal already sealed, Kim then made history by throwing down back-to-back 1080s, becoming the first woman to do so in Olympic history.
Her final run was a 98.25.
Golden girl. #WinterOlympicspic.twitter.com/6phv2yGzlY
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2018
Kim came into the Olympics with high expectations and perhaps exceeded them — no one came close to touching her.
“Believe the hype,” NBC said as the halfpipe final ended. If they didn’t before, the Olympic world believes in Kim now.