Chloe Kim's injury threatens her dream of a third gold medal at the Italian Olympics
In news that has worried winter sports fans worldwide, American figure skater and two-time Olympic champion Chloe Kim on Thursday that she suffered a worrying shoulder injury during training in Switzerland. This unexpected incident raises serious questions about her ability to defend her title and pursue an unprecedented achievement at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy (Milan-Corina).
Details of the incident in Lax, Switzerland
The Olympic champion shared a video on social media documenting the moment of her fall in Lax, Switzerland, describing it as the "stupidest fall" of her career. The video shows Kim unexpectedly tripping inside a halfpipe, resulting in a direct hit to her shoulder. Despite the pain, Kim tried to reassure her fans, stating that she would remain optimistic while awaiting the results of an MRI scan to determine the exact extent of the damage.
Kim said in her statement: “I have a good range of motion and I don’t feel unbearable pain, but my only concern is the instability of my shoulder and it coming out of place. I’m trying to stay positive, and I know that as soon as I get the medical green light, I’ll be ready to return.”.
Khloé Kim: A legend striving to make history
To understand the magnitude of the potential loss should Kim be absent, one must consider the context of her remarkable career. Chloe Kim is one of the most prominent figures in the history of winter sports, having risen to international stardom at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics when she became the youngest woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating at the age of 17. She didn't stop there, however, and returned to dominate once again at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, deservedly retaining her title.
Now, Kim has her sights set on a historic goal: becoming the first action sports athlete to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals . This achievement would place her in a unique position, even surpassing figure skating legend Shaun White, who won three gold medals but across five Olympic Games (2006, 2010, 2018).
Technological development and absolute dominance
What distinguishes Kim is not just her titles, but the technical level she brought to women's figure skating. She was a pioneer in executing complex aerial maneuvers that dazzled judges and audiences alike, including being the first woman to perform two consecutive 1080-degree spins in Olympic competition, in addition to mastering a 1260-degree spin. Kim is currently working on expanding her skill set in preparation for the Milan-Corina Games, making her current injury a significant setback to her training plans.
The race against time and the qualifiers
The injury comes at a critical juncture in the season. The women's halfpipe qualifying round is scheduled for February 11, coinciding with the start of the LAX Open next week. Given the current situation, Kim may be forced to compete in the Olympics without having participated in any competitive finals for the 2025-2026 season, even if she recovers, adding immense physical and mental pressure.
It's worth noting that Kim had already secured her place on the US team after winning last year's competition, but this isn't the first time she's been dealing with shoulder problems. She withdrew from the Copper Mountain final last month due to a minor injury in the same area. Kim concluded her remarks on a hopeful note, saying, "I hope the recovery won't take too long. I'll use the coming period to rest and recover so I can come back stronger.".
