American snowboarder Chloe Kim. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images
American snowboarder Chloe Kim won the gold medal in the women's halfpipe at the Beijing Winter Games, becoming the first woman to successfully defend her Olympic title.
The big picture: Kim grabbed the finals lead with a 94.00 after her first run and never relinquished it despite scoring under 30 points on her final two runs.
- The 21-year-old won gold in Pyeongchang four years ago, but then took a two-year hiatus from snowboarding. She returned to the sport last January.
What she's saying: "I'm just so proud of myself and I'm so grateful for everyone that supported me, even when I decided to take time off to go to school," Kim said after her win.
- "I really think if it weren't for everyone supporting me, I wouldn't be here with another gold medal."
For the record: Queralt Castellet of Spain took silver with a 90.25 on her second run of the day.
- Japan's Sena Tomita edged China's Cai Xuetong for the bronze medal.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.