Decorated U.S. gymnast Suni Lee was one of the tens of thousands of supporters who showed their love for Chloe Kim on Wednesday. This was after Kim secured a spot in the snowboarding halfpipe final of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
Kim turned in a dominant performance in the qualifying round on Wednesday. She finished with a score of 90.25 to top the leaderboard. She has now qualified for the halfpipe final, where she will look to make Olympic history. The 25-year-old enters the final as a two-time defending champion. She can rewrite the history books by winning the halfpipe competition three times in a row.
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Kim and Lee share a similar background story. Kim was born and raised in Torrance, California. Both of her parents are from South Korea.
Lee, on the other hand, is one of the most successful American gymnasts in the modern era. The 22-year-old has six Olympic medals. She won bronze in the all-around and uneven bars finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee also took home a gold medal in the team final.
Lee was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her mother, Yeev Thoj, is a refugee from Laos who immigrated to the U.S. at a young age.
Kim took to social media shortly after her triumph in the qualifying round. The three-time World Championships gold medalist shared some photos from her big day.
Lee jumped on the comments section to send a message to her fellow Olympian.
“PROUD OF UUUU LFG ❤️❤️” Lee reacted.
Lee knows full well how much hard work it takes to prepare for the Olympics. She is also familiar with that winning feeling, which is why she’s sharing the joy of Kim’s success.
Pride was the unifying message in the comments section of Kim’s post. The job is not done for the snowboarding icon, though. She will return to the spotlight for the halfpipe final on Thursday. Kim’s quest for glory will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.
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