Chloe Kim set for historic halfpipe gold showdown at Milano Cortina

Chloe Kim officially goes for her historic “three-peat” at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics today. Seeking to continue her dominance in the women’s snowboarding halfpipe, she aims to carve her name in history as the first athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in the event.

The 25-year-old during her qualifying runs, seemed to decimate any question of her ability to come out on top despite a recent shoulder injury. She appears fully committed and may be holding back some tricks for her final runs.

Returning from a recent shoulder injury, Kim soared through a no fuss, no drama qualifying round finishing first to easily secure her spot in the final. On Wednesday, two dozen riders got turned down the Olympics halfpipe with only 12 advancing to Thursday night’s final.

She is participating in these Olympics wearing a shoulder brace- the result of an awkward fall four weeks ago during a training run in Switzerland.

As a two-time Olympic champion, Kim acknowledged that her initial runs weren't exactly what she wanted. However, she hopes to link frontside and backside 900s on her second run. She skidded slightly during her first qualifying run and opted to pull up, saving herself her energy and best tricks for the medal round. Maddie Mastro, Japan’s Sara Shimizu and Sena Tomita remain her biggest challengers among the final 12; all are seeking the podium and could snatch the gold if Kim is not at her best.