Chloe Kim is about to rule PyeongChang 2018
To understand how talented Chloe Kim is, just know that she's only 17 years old and this shouldn't even be her Olympic debut.
As implausible as it sounds, the American snowboarder was actually good enough to qualify for halfpipe at Sochi 2014 at the age of 13 but was prohibited because Olympic rules demand an athlete must be at least 15 years old.
The X Games holds no such rule, and despite the fact that she's still in high school, Kim is already a four-time champion at the annual event. When you add that talent to an extremely engaging character that personifies California cool, it's easy to see why American media outlets have installed her as one of the faces for PyeongChang 2018.
ESPN Magazine cover!! Thank you @alyroe @espnW @espn @RAMONESROSALES pic.twitter.com/WJoOiPBTIA
— Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) February 6, 2018
Kim was born in California, and while she will have the full backing of the American fans, don't be shocked to see a mountain of support from the South Koreans as well. Her parents were born in South Korea before coming to the United States over 20 years ago, and she still has family in the host nation. She's fluent in English, French, and Korean, another reason why her star is set to shine in PyeongChang.
Among her sponsors are Nike, Toyota, Visa, Oakley, and a South Korean-based cosmetics company. Her engaging personality and endless talent led the Sports Business Journal to claim: "You'd be hard-pressed to create a more promising brand spokeswoman in a lab."
Kim's journey to stardom began at age 4 when her father took her to Mountain High resort outside of Los Angeles. She spent time living in Switzerland and training in France. That dedication has led her to the top of the snowboarding world as the first woman to land back-to-back 1080s in competition.
That journey reaches its most publicized point this week with a No. 1 ranking in women's halfpipe on the Snowboard World Cup and the heavy betting favorite to claim the gold medal in PyeongChang.
Being the favorite in their first Olympic experience may be daunting for most athletes, but for the 17-year-old California kid it's just another trip down the halfpipe.