ZHANGJIAKOU, China, Feb 10, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - American sensation Chloe Kim
gave a snowboarding masterclass as she successfully defended her Olympic
halfpipe title at the Beijing Games on Thursday.

  The 21-year-old had the title in the bag after only the first of three
runs, scoring a whopping 94.00 points to give her a virtually unassailable
lead.

  She clutched her helmet and fell to her knees after sliding into the finish
area, then got back up and turned the rest of the competition into her own
private victory lap.

  She fell on her second run and received a hug from Californian-born Chinese
freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu, who was watching at the finish area, before
making her way back up the hill for her third and final attempt.

  By then she already had the title wrapped up, and although she fell again
on her final run, she celebrated with the other riders when she slid in to
the finish area.

  Spain's Queralt Castellet took silver on 90.25 and Japan's Sena Tomita
claimed bronze on 88.25.

  China's best hope Cai Xuetong, who was third in qualifying, finished fourth
on 81.25 despite vocal support from Gu and the flag-waving home crowd.

  Kim became the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal when she
won halfpipe gold as a 17-year-old at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.

  She took a two-year break from competition after her Olympic success as she
struggled to cope with the pressures of fame.