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As the Beijing Games have drawn nearer, Kim’s focus has intensified. Always committed to training in the snow, she started hitting the gym with purpose too. Kim’s trainer, Roy Chan, has Kim doing single-leg squats and other core exercises to make sure she can sustain the force of her landings. “She pretty much doesn’t take any days off,” Chan says. “In a lot of cases, athletes sometimes just fall out of love with the extracurricular work that they need to sustain their season. But with Chloe that’s not the case.”
Kim feels the weight of expectation. And she knows her situation is not that different from Simone Biles’ before the Tokyo Olympics in July. Their acrobatic sports have frightening similarities too: if Kim’s mind isn’t right during a routine, she risks life-threatening damage. Pretending that the parallels with Biles don’t exist “is the worst thing you can do,” says Kim’s coach, Rick Bower, who also led the U.S. national halfpipe team from 2010 through last season. “To talk about it as it comes up, and not push it away or anything, that’s our plan.”
Kim says Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition in Tokyo rather than risk injury is a source of strength for her and other athletes. “Having that comfort knowing that, ‘Hey, I’m doing something really dangerous, or I’m doing something that is hard on my body, if I mentally can’t do it, then I shouldn’t,’” says Kim. “It’s in my best interest. Showing the world that you have to put yourself first and give up something like an Olympic gold medal, that was very touching and inspirational.”
For now, her plans for Beijing include unveiling three new tricks. “I’m so excited,” she says. “They’re an upgrade from everything I’ve done.” She won’t say more, which makes sense, but also demurs when asked more generally about the Winter Games. “Don’t have too many expectations,” she says softly. “Just let me vibe. I’m just trying to chill.” She gives it a beat. Then, in a more forceful voice, Chloe Kim gets real. “No, I’m just kidding. You just expect a lot out of me. I’m going to go off.”
Read more about Chloe Kim: time.com/6140099/chloe-kim-2022-olympics-snowboarder/
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Kim feels the weight of expectation. And she knows her situation is not that different from Simone Biles’ before the Tokyo Olympics in July. Their acrobatic sports have frightening similarities too: if Kim’s mind isn’t right during a routine, she risks life-threatening damage. Pretending that the parallels with Biles don’t exist “is the worst thing you can do,” says Kim’s coach, Rick Bower, who also led the U.S. national halfpipe team from 2010 through last season. “To talk about it as it comes up, and not push it away or anything, that’s our plan.”
Kim says Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition in Tokyo rather than risk injury is a source of strength for her and other athletes. “Having that comfort knowing that, ‘Hey, I’m doing something really dangerous, or I’m doing something that is hard on my body, if I mentally can’t do it, then I shouldn’t,’” says Kim. “It’s in my best interest. Showing the world that you have to put yourself first and give up something like an Olympic gold medal, that was very touching and inspirational.”
For now, her plans for Beijing include unveiling three new tricks. “I’m so excited,” she says. “They’re an upgrade from everything I’ve done.” She won’t say more, which makes sense, but also demurs when asked more generally about the Winter Games. “Don’t have too many expectations,” she says softly. “Just let me vibe. I’m just trying to chill.” She gives it a beat. Then, in a more forceful voice, Chloe Kim gets real. “No, I’m just kidding. You just expect a lot out of me. I’m going to go off.”
Read more about Chloe Kim: time.com/6140099/chloe-kim-2022-olympics-snowboarder/
Subscribe to TIME’s YouTube channel ►► ti.me/subscribe-time
Subscribe to TIME: ti.me/3D1lhAc
Get the day's top headlines to your inbox, curated by TIME editors: ti.me/the-brief
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