Is Chloe Kim injured? What you’ll notice when she hits the snowboard halfpipe

Fans watching snowboarder Chloe Kim compete in the halfpipe event this week may notice something unusual in her gear.

That’s because the medal favorite and legendary snowboarder looking for an Olympic three-peat is competing just weeks after suffering a serious injury.

The two-time gold medalist in the halfpipe posted an update to Instagram just one month before Olympic competition, saying she had torn her labrum — the lining of the socket that holds the shoulder together.

She returned to the halfpipe about two weeks ago and is wearing a brace on her left shoulder that she said “in a funny way … made my riding better.”

Her coach, Rick Bower, told The Associated Press that practices have been going well since the 25-year-old American returned to the snow at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

“Clearly, it’s not an ideal situation, but all things considered, the work she’s put in over the last 15 years, she’s in a place where she can deal with it,” he said. “Though it’s not what we’d like, the riding is at the point to where she can still compete for gold.”

Kim did acknowledge in the days before her event she’s feeling anxious.

“I have so much anxiety,” Kim said Monday. “But thankfully I have matcha (tea) and there’s good vibes here and my family’s here, so we’ll be good.”

Kim said despite her anxiety, she’s “confident.”

“I feel really good about how I’m feeling physically and mentally, and that’s most important right now,” she said.

Kim’s her big run this week is one she’s never done. It will be a tougher version of what she won with in Beijing — tricks involving riding backward and forward and spinning in both directions off those approaches.

“If I’m able to pull that off, regardless of where I place, I’ll be really content with that,” Kim said.

Korea’s 17-year-old Gaon Choi has been ramping up the difficulty and could pose the greatest threat to Kim’s three-peat.

When does Chloe Kim compete?

Kim will compete in the women’s snowboarding halfpipe event, which begins qualifications on Wednesday.

The qualifications will begin their first run at 3:30 a.m. CT and the second round slated to begin at 4:27 a.m. CT.

The finals for the halfpipe will take place Thursday, starting at 12:30 p.m. CT. The final runs are expected to take place around 1:30 p.m. CT.

Women’s snowboard halfpipe qualification: Wednesday, Feb. 11, 4:30 a.m. ET (Peacock)
Women’s snowboard halfpipe final: Thursday, Feb. 12, 1:30 p.m. ET (Peacock)