Victory lap: Chloe Kim takes her family on a gold
Chloe Kim
PYEONGCHANG  South Korea (AP) â  Chloe Kim  stamped  her  name on a new era of snowboarding with a run down the halfpipe that  officially  did not mean anything. To  her   it meant everything.
The Olympic gold medal was already hers but  she  knew  she  could do better. So  she  cinched on  her  gloves  cranked up "Motorsport" on  her  iPod  said "This one's for you  Grams" â a shout-out to  her  South Korean grandmother  who was watching  her  in person for the first time â and dropped into the halfpipe to make history.
On the last run of Tuesday's sun-splashed final   Kim  hit back-to-back 1080-degree spins on  her  second and third jumps â repeating a combination no other woman has ever done in a competition.
 She  landed them squarely  sent  her  already super-hyped family at the bottom into overdrive  scored a 98.5 and sent out the message that everyone from grandma to those at the roots of this sport love to hear: "I knew I wasn't going to be completely satisfied taking home the gold  but knowing that I could've done better."
The 17-year-old from California made it look easy  but only afterward did  she  concede how difficult the past several months have been.  Her  story has been told and sold and marketed for gold:  Her  parents both emigrated to the United States from South Korea  and though it was more coincidence than any grand plan   Kim  making  her  Olympic debut in the country where  her  family was from set up a sure path to stardom in the halfpipe and beyond.
 She  has commanded the progression in women's snowboarding for at least two years now  and it was hard to imagine anyone beating  her  on the sport's biggest stage  at  her  official coming-out party. But halfpipes are hard  the snow is slippery and nothing is for sure.
"There is a lot of pressure revolving around these games "  she  said. "You wait for four years to come here and it's definitely a lot of hype around a 1 1/2  2-hour time period. It's pretty nerve-wracking. You know you're at the Olympics. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl  to land a run that's very important for me."
 Chloe Kim  of the United States   reacts to  her  score during the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
 Chloe Kim   of the United States  celebrates winning gold in the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
 Kim 's journey included two years in Switzerland  where she lived with her aunt  learned French and honed her snowboarding skills.
Chloe Kim  of the United States  wipes away a tear after winning gold in the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
PYEONGCHANG  South Korea (AP) â   [TGT] stamped   [TGT]   name on a new era of snowboarding with a run down the halfpipe that  officially  did not mean anything. To   [TGT]    it meant everything.
The Olympic gold medal was already hers but   [TGT]   knew   [TGT]   could do better. So   [TGT]   cinched on   [TGT]   gloves  cranked up "Motorsport" on   [TGT]   iPod  said "This one's for you  Grams" â a shout-out to  her  South Korean grandmother  who was watching  her  in person for the first time â and dropped into the halfpipe to make history.
On the last run of Tuesday's sun-splashed final   Kim  hit back-to-back 1080-degree spins on  her  second and third jumps â repeating a combination no other woman has ever done in a competition.
 She  landed them squarely  sent  her  already super-hyped family at the bottom into overdrive  scored a 98.5 and sent out the message that everyone from grandma to those at the roots of this sport love to hear: "I knew I wasn't going to be completely satisfied taking home the gold  but knowing that I could've done better."
The 17-year-old from California made it look easy  but only afterward did  she  concede how difficult the past several months have been.  Her  story has been told and sold and marketed for gold:  Her  parents both emigrated to the United States from South Korea  and though it was more coincidence than any grand plan   Kim  making  her  Olympic debut in the country where  her  family was from set up a sure path to stardom in the halfpipe and beyond.
 She  has commanded the progression in women's snowboarding for at least two years now  and it was hard to imagine anyone beating  her  on the sport's biggest stage  at  her  official coming-out party. But halfpipes are hard  the snow is slippery and nothing is for sure.
"There is a lot of pressure revolving around these games "  she  said. "You wait for four years to come here and it's definitely a lot of hype around a 1 1/2  2-hour time period. It's pretty nerve-wracking. You know you're at the Olympics. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl  to land a run that's very important for me."
 Chloe Kim  of the United States   reacts to  [TGT]  [TGT]   score during the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
 Chloe Kim   of the United States  celebrates winning gold in the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
  [TGT]  's journey included two years in Switzerland  where  [TGT]  lived with  [TGT]  aunt  learned French and honed  [TGT]  snowboarding skills.
Chloe Kim  of the United States  wipes away a tear after winning gold in the women's halfpipe finals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang  South Korea  Tuesday  Feb. 13  2018. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)