Teen snowboarder Choi Ga-on wins halfpipe gold in World Cup debut

Snowboarder Choi Ga-on poses for a photo after winning the International Ski and Snowboard Federation World Cup on Saturday at Copper Mountain in Colorado. [NEWS1]

Korean teen snowboarder Choi Ga-on won a gold medal at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) World Cup on Saturday at Copper Mountain in Colorado, becoming the first-ever Korean to claim victory in the women's halfpipe.

The 15-year-old scored 92.75 points to win the event at her World Cup debut, edging out runner-up Mitsuki Ono of Japan by 2.75 points.

Saturday’s victory makes Choi the second Korean athlete to win gold at an FIS World Cup after Lee Sang-ho in 2021 and the first-ever Korean to win in the halfpipe discipline. Lee claimed victory in alpine.

Alpine is a type of skiing raced high up in the mountains whereas halfpipe is performed in a half tube of snow.

"I am happy to have won my first World Cup event," Choi said in a statement released by her agency, All That Sports. "I wanted to be even better in the second run than in the first run, and that mindset led to a great result."

Countryman Lee Chae-un, meanwhile, grabbed a silver medal in the men’s halfpipe discipline at the same venue with 80 points, falling 11 points behind gold medalist Ayumu Hirano of Japan.

It was Lee’s second consecutive medal at an FIS World Cup after winning a bronze earlier this month in Beijing, China.

Saturday’s results are a bright sign for both Choi and Lee, who are set to compete in the upcoming Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, running from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1 next year.

The Gangwon Youth Olympics may be another chance for the two make their mark on the international stage, as they will compete among a total of 1,900 youth athletes from 70 countries.

Medaling in the Youth Olympics will perhaps carry even more meaning, as it is the first time the tournament is taking place in Korea.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]