The gamblers took it! "Choi Gaon No.1 → Chloe Kim and the all-time super close game." [Milan Olympics]

*This content was translated by AI.

In the snowboard women's halfpipe, which is considered the hottest battleground of the 2026 Milan-Cortina D'Ampezzo Winter Olympics, "genius girl" Choi Ga-on (18, Sehwa Girls' High School) beat "legendary" Chloe Kim (26, USA) to become the No. 1 favorite by gamblers.

According to Ozchecker, a betting information site, as of the 11th (Korea Standard Time), overseas sports betting companies are selling products that predict the winner of the women's snowboard halfpipe at the Winter Olympics. Choi Gaon received the lowest dividend from all companies except British betting firm William Hill. On the other hand, Chloe Kim, who is trying to win her third consecutive Olympic title, is closely following Choi Ga-on with 2.80.

The lower the dividend rate, the higher the probability of winning. This seems to be the result of gamblers around the world judging that Choi Ga-on is slightly ahead of Chloe Kim in terms of the current momentum. Only a year ago, the atmosphere in the market, which expected Chloe Kim to dominate, has completely turned upside down. British betting firm William Hillman Khloe Kim has set a winning dividend of 2.38 times and raised Choi Gaon to 2.88 times.

However, it is possible to interpret that the game is so close that the dividend rate is about 0.5. Japanese newcomers Sarah Shimizu (17) and Rise Kudo (17) are also considered dark horses and seem to be threatening the podium position.

The decisive background in which gamblers ruled in favor of Choi Ga-on seems to be his performance this season. Choi Ga-on is racing to No. 1 in the world rankings with three wins at the International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup this season. In particular, he showed "flawless riding" by perfectly succeeding in overwhelming aerial rotations and difficult techniques that remind Chloe Kim of her heyday. Choi Ga-on, who won the World Cup in Rocks, Switzerland, in January, the last World Cup, is highly regarded.

On the other hand, Chloe Kim suffered a shoulder dislocation while practicing at the World Cup in Rocks, Switzerland, in January. However, he said directly that he is not good enough to miss the Olympics. Chloe Kim said on her social media, "The injury is not as serious as I thought. I didn't get as much training as I wanted, but it's okay. I'm grateful to be able to participate in the Olympics," he said.

Local foreign media are also reporting heavily on the halfpipe event every day. Forbes, a U.S. business magazine, recently noted, "If Choi Ga-on wins the gold medal, he will break Chloe Kim's record for the youngest snowboard gold medal ever."

The women's halfpipe preliminary round, which is drawing attention from all over the world, is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. on the 11th. Here, the final match will be held from 3:30 a.m. on the 13th after determining the main character of the final.

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*This content was translated by AI.