Snowboarder Gaon Choi suffered a harrowing crash during the women’s halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

South Korea’s Choi Gaon receives medical attention after crashing in the snowboard women’s halfpipe final run 1.) (Image: Getty Images)

Winter Olympics viewers made their anger abundantly clear with officials after South Korea’s Gaon Choi’s alarming crash while competing in the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games. During her opening run in the women’s snowboard halfpipe final on Thursday, Choi caught the lip of the halfpipe whilst attempting a cab 1080, resulting in a heavy fall to the ground.

The 17-year-old remained motionless for several distressing minutes as TV cameras turned away, then cut away to other action taking place at the same time. When the break in the event came to an end, Choi could be seen making her way to the bottom of the pipe on her own, in an encouraging sign.

Taking to social media, many fans condemned the medical personnel on site for failing to attend to Choi promptly after her frightening tumble.

“Is no one going to see if that snowboarder is okay on the half pipe? No one rushed to her for a bit,” an X user posted, with another commenting: “17 year old just eats s*** on the half pipe and the emergency crew takes their time to get to her. Embarrassing response time.”

Others criticised the event organisers for permitting the competition to continue despite adverse weather conditions. By the time the first round concluded, just five of the 12 competing athletes had managed to execute a clean run without falling.

“Is this half pipe final even safe? This girl looks like she’s seriously hurt herself and no ones finished a run yet,” one viewer said. Another added: “This half pipe final is carnage. So many falls, weather most certainly a factor in all of this.”

A fifth person wrote: “Ummm can we postpone this women’s final in half pipe everyone is getting hurt with the snow conditions!”

Gaon Choi after her worrying crash. (Image: Getty Images)

Choi was on the floor, in the middle of the halfpipe, for approximately two minutes, before getting to her feet in an event that was marred by failed first runs.

Against all odds, the teenager returned for the second round. She may well have been feeling the effects of her earlier fall, though, skidding early and pulling out of her first trick.

And incredibly, Choi got back up and won the gold medal with a perfect final run.

She fell on her first two runs but returned with a frontside seven to finish, moving to first place with 90.25.

There were five more boarders to go, including reigning gold medalist Chloe Kim, but the American couldn’t land her 1080 and went down, sparking jubilation in the South Korean camp.

Kim, who had been the only Olympic winner in the women’s halfpipe since 2014, went over to her and congratulated the new face of the sport after a stunning comeback.