3 snowboarders with Southern California ties soar into halfpipe finals. See qualifying highlights

Torrance’s Chloe Kim was one of three snowboarders with Southern California ties to soar into the final Wednesday in women’s halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Kim, a two-time gold medalist in the event, topped the qualifying standings, advancing to Thursday’s final with a shot at a history-making three consecutive gold medals. She will be joined by Palos Verdes’ Bea Kim and Wrightwood’s Maddie Mastro in the final round.

Kim, competing in Italy just four weeks after a shoulder injury, showed no rust in the qualifying round in Livigno. Her run included a massive big air leap, some 13 feet over the edge of the halfpipe, punctuated with a showy grab of the board, and also a 1080-degree spin while riding backward — a trick she can make even harder by adding an extra flip.

She then smiled huge for the camera and stuck out her tongue.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” said the 25-year-old Kim. “Muscle memory is a thing.”

U.S. snowboarder Maddie Mastro qualified third in the women’s snowboard halfpipe.

Two dozen riders got two turns down the Olympic halfpipe on a partly cloudy day in Livigno, with their best score counting and only 12 advancing to Thursday night’s final.

Kim was wearing a shoulder brace due to an awkward fall on a training run in Switzerland. She returned to the halfpipe only two weeks ago. This marked her first truly meaningful run since last March.

“She’s been very well behaved,” Kim said, looking down at her left shoulder. “So I’m grateful for that.”

Bea Kim finished 10th in qualifying to earn a spot in the women’s halfpipe final at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

Kim said she was hoping to link frontside and backside 900s on her second run, but she skidded a bit after the first one, so pulled up to save herself for the final, where she’ll go bigger. A few minutes later, she was in the crowd, sharing hugs with her boyfriend, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.

“I’ve landed all the components of my finals run, I just haven’t put them together,” she said. “So I’ll get to do it on the big day.”

Among her biggest challengers will be Mastro and Bea Kim, Japan’s Sara Shimizu and Sena Tomita, and Korea’s Gaon Choi, all of whom made the final 12.

They are all in the running for medals — and a gold one if Kim is not at her best.

he Milan Cortina Olympics are Feb. 6 to Feb. 22. Click here for a full events schedule. The Winter Paralympics are March to March 15 in Italy.

Los Angeles is the Olympics’ next stop in 2028. The LA 2028 Olympics Opening Ceremony is July 14, 2028 with competition through July 30, 2028. The LA28 Paralympic Games will kick off Aug. 15, 2028 and close Aug. 27, 2028. 

The Olympics will return to Los Angeles for an historic third time in 2028, but this will be the city’s first time as host of the Paralympic Games.