I am sorry but this is more circus than real sport. Snowboarding competition should only be racing downhill and not this. it is just about TV shows to make a lot of money with advertisements. It should be restricted to the Games. Also a very small number of countries are participating and is not universal at all.
As far as I know concrete boarding is not in the program of the summer olympics and I hope it will never be....
I love that Chloe, while taking her sport seriously, does not seem to take herself too seriously. The fact that she was able to post that she was "hangry" between runs shows that she has the ultimate confidence in herself. I think she epitomizes the "younger generation" in that they really just want to enjoy the experiences they have.
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“My grandmother’s never seen me compete before,” she said. “I was like, this one’s for Grams.”
The best line of the article.
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Honest question here. The ladies do a lot of spins on the halfpipe but not many inversions. The guys do mostly flips and double corks and moves that are simply at another level. Is there a particular reason for the difference? Some of the best snowboarders in history were small (Shaun White isn't a particularly large person for example), so I would think in this sport, gender really shouldn't make much of a difference.
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Why would gender not make a difference in snowboarding? How about men have superior pound for pound strength and coordination? It doesn't matter that Shaun White may be the same height as some female snowboarded. Also, water is wet.
Brings up the point, all this conspicuously disproportionate coverage of the female versions of the Olympic sports is going overboard, and people are going to notice how contrived it is, leading to the opposite-as-intended effect. I'm not going to get all fake-excited for the women's snowboarding when I can watch the men do the same event much more impressively.
The Winter Olympics are like baseball before Jackie Robinson. The IOC makes millions and should spend some of it recruiting talented and poor minorities. Based open experience in other sports, you'd soon see the women trying 1260's. The Summer Olympics -- particularly on the track -- is a wonderful celebration of kids who have come from nowhere to be the best in the world. The only appropriate term for the Winter Olympics is segregated. You may not like football because of the injuries. I don't like watching rosy-cheeked kids collecting medals that some day should go to inner city blacks. Segregation is an evil. As anti-football commenters always point out, if you support the evil you're part of the problem.
Preposterous.
The 'segregation' is nothing more than loving what you know. Norwegians clean-up on x-country skiing because it is part of their culture and environment.
Black kids clean-up on basketball because it is part of their culture and environment.
It is only in a Lord of the Flies dystopian world in which we can expect all kids to do and take interest in all things equally.
Hi Michjas, I used to work in the snowboarding industry, and grew up in a diverse area of Miami, and noticed your observation early on in my career. The problem is that it is incredibly expensive to participate in winter sports where transportation, equipment and mountain lift tickets are required. Even for many white kids, participating in winter sports is impossible. Burton Snowboards has a program called Chill that reaches out to inner city kids and gets them to the mountain with equipment, passes, transport and instruction, but of course it's only for a select few. I believe if the interest is there, kids can find a way to make it happen, but due to the proximity of the mountains and the sheer expense, it's difficult, but I don't think it's evil. It just requires a colossal effort. Now that I'm not in the industry, I can barely afford to snowboard myself.
What's evil is the relentless harping on schisms in our society. If you are saying baseball improved after Robinson broke the racial barrier, you are right. If your point is that the game was bereft of talent before that, you are talking through your hat. You further grouse about medals that currently should go to inner city blacks because they would, naturally, be better than people of other races. Sad commentary about where the country is headed and you are not alone. The Times seems to make it the theme of its online coverage of many issues.
I think we are watching a star being born. Go Chloe!!
Fabulous group of courageous and determined young women; all of them, from all of their respective countries.
That being said, Kelly Clark was robbed of at least the Bronze. My guess is that there was a bit of age/cuteness discrimination. Shame on the judges.
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Back in the mid-1990s, when we were developing composite images like these from video, the editors at the "Gray Lady" said that they would never run illustrations that might somehow mislead their readers. Glad to see that the Times has caught up with the times. Beautifully illustrated story about an amazing athlete.
After reading the Rippon article, all I can do is wonder what aspect of her health Ms. Kim is sacrificing to get her medal.
I've seen Ms. Kim in many interviews and compete on television. She looks amazingly fit and healthy. And she looks genuinely happy with herself and her life.
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While we all love a winner and we Americans all especially love an American winner, I especially love how the article begins with beautiful shots of many of the competitors. Congrats to Chloe!
To hear John Williams' rendition of the Olympic Theme and Fanfare every four years simply brings tears to my eyes. I don't really care what sport or sports are featured nightly during the 18 days of the Olympic Games. I tune in to see various Olympians from around the world gather to compete in a plethora of demanding, dangerous and death defying sports which I will not witness anywhere else. I always have a sense of hope and optimism during and after the games, thinking these Olympians are role models to the world for they are able to gather peacefully, amicably and successfully and achieve something most of us only dream about. The Olympic Games have the potential of being important, meaningful, and symbolic on so many levels in additional to the world of sports. Olympians such as Chloe Kim is just one fine example of inner strength, commitment, devotion and skill to her craft. She is an inspiration to so many.
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When I saw all the blond hair on display by American skiers in the open ceremony, it seemed superfluous to have to carry a flag to recognize our team by.
I guess you didn’t see Norway, Sweden, Austria, or Germany.
With so much news about disagreeable people being disagreeable, what's not to love about watching and reading about young, fit people doing amazing things, and expressing such joy and humility while doing it? Thanks for the coverage, NYT.
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Congratulations Chloe Kim and shame on Trump, the huge tweeter, for not acknowledging the gold. Could it be because Trump is not an athlete and does not appreciate athletic prowess. I think the biggest thing is that the Olympics are about everyone and not about Trump.He has nothing to say.
People like Chlow Kim are what makes the US a great place. Sadly, a POTUS like Trump looks like an idiot while the Olympics are going on.He is out of touch, he just looks like a very, very, small person.
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This story and this Olympian gets me all choked up and teary eyed.
I'm just so proud of all the Olympians from all over the globe.
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I wonder if pilates or yoga will become an olympic sport
See what you get with "chain migration"? Motivated successful contributors to America. Congratulations Ms. Kim and family.
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Why is this called '1080'???
Am I the only one seeing only 2 and a half turns in this image?
She starts with her back to the camera/downhill direction, and ends facing the other way - two and a half rotations (i.e. 900 degrees).
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You're right! Caption is wrong. That was her front side 900 (2.5 rotations). Good eye, the 1080 is 3 total.
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Chloe Kim's smile, laugh and overall personality is infectious. The moment I saw her in the Opening Ceremony, I fell in love with her. Her natural abilities, her drive and dedication and sincere appreciation to her parents and family for their continued support is inspirational. Never again do I want to read about how self-centered and unfocused the new and up and coming generation is. This young gal is an extremely brilliant role model for all kids, teens, young adults and for all generations.
Her attitude about life and hard work is gold medal worthy in and of itself. Sincere congrats Ms. Kim. You did this country, the Olympics and your family proud. You are awesome!!!!!
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Good for her -- exciting to watch! And especially to see a Korean American competing in Korea. A message of American inclusiveness not obvious in the U.S. at the moment.
However, the NYT's Olympic medal count table is not wrong, but it is misleading. Total medals is the wrong indicator. Instead, countries should be listed first by number of gold medals, then number of silver, then number of bronze. As the value of each is weighted, this also provides a more meaningful total.
See the Guardian -- they are doing it right!
ooo, ahhhh. Not so much. Boring.
Privileged athletes (are they really) performing a made up sport.
I'm all for competition, but it should be events that everyone could compete in.
Hundreds or thousands of dollars in equipment, lift tickets, etc.
These are just a small number of spoiled rich kids playing at the half pipe or the slopestyle (whaaaa) hill.
The Olympics are a commercial enterprise now and only that.
Enough already.
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Chloe's father immigrated to the US with $800 to his name. worked minimum wage jobs to save money for his education, and became an engineer. All so that he can provide for his family and help them achieve their dreams and goals.
Privileged? Spoiled rich kids? Please do not paint all the athletes and their families with such broad brushstrokes.
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There is no sport everyone can participate. Competitive sport is not a democracy.
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There is no sport everyone can participate in. Even running requires time, safe place to run, a coach etc to compete at a competitive level. Forget at the Olympic level. Competitive sports are not a democracy.
I know nothing about snowboarding but it was exciting to see Chloe do so well! That she dedicated it to her grandmother is a nice touch. Chloe epitomizes young people who go out there and work hard toward a goal - she is a great role model for all of us. To the naysayers - get a hobby. Snowboarding takes skill, training and guts.
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anyone notice that the US team looks like a sampling of the rest of the world put together? fills me with pride when I see that.
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Without taking anything away from the brilliance of Chloe Kim, Shawn White and other fabulous snowboarders, a 100-point score does not denote "perfection," nor is it so intended. Only the final competitor, on his or her final run and having already clinched first place, can earn a 100; exactly the same run performed by the same or any other competitor, anywhere else in the competition, cannot earn a 100 score. The 100-point score is meant to reward the already-determined winner for an exceptional run, typically for successfully performing a trick not done by the other competitors, but it's not intended to signify perfection.
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Did not think it was specific to the last performer but it is an evaluation of progression and not perfection as you indicate.
Congrats to Chloe Kim on a masterpiece performance! And congrats to the NYT reporters and photographers for the coverage. Points for covering a woman in sports. Points for the background story. Magna cum Laude for the photographs!
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This remains a silly, tedious sport which unfortunately supplants the classic ski events in media coverage.
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You could always turn the channel that is what I do when I see classic skiing comes on.
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I watch those too. Maybe a little attitude adjustment is in order?
Normal soccer is about the most tedious sport I can imagine, yet it garners worldwide attention. Yawn.
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I would agree if not for the fact that most of us would never be able to even attempt this without breaking our necks.
First:
congrats to all the folks that represent our nation.
Second:
what a treat to see "Chen" and "Kim" and "Baamba" part that team. THEY make America great.
Third:
Great coverage by NYT's, teaching us all about something outside of most of our experience.
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Don't forget the Shib Sibs! (The Shibutanis - brother-sister team, Japanese American).
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Love the photography! I'd like to see close ups of the tricks in the same shooting manner.
Shoutout to all the Asian-Americans at these winter olympics!
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Immigrants are the source of the US' achievements.
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What about Jim Thorpe?
Chloe Kim? Where's Courtenay?
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After a short while watching all these snowboarding events I feel like I'm at the laundromat watching the clothes in the dryer spinning around. When the weather's nice I prefer a clothesline where they just flap gently in the breeze.
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Remarkable photography of a remarkable young woman doing mind-blowing things. She makes it look easy, but that's an illusion.
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I seriously doubt that the people without electricity in Puerto Rico (1.5M?) are jumping for joy because someone executed a nearly perfect halfpipe. Indeed i seriously doubt that the majority of people on Earth know what a halfpipe is, much less, care. For the vast majority of the humans on this planet the winter olympics are a non-event. Does the NYT really need to dedicate that much attention to a meaningless sporting event?
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Then don't read it. Or read the other NYT coverage about how the president's budget will decimate aid to our poorest, how PR still needs much and what should be done about it, or how the privitization of public infrastructure will end up costing taxpayers much much more, or how the senate is having an open debate on fixes to the issues with immigration. It' snot like the NYT pulled people off these other issues to write about an athlete's personal best.
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Given that have given ample coverage to PR, they are providing a useful service for all of us informed netizens by showing us a thing of beauty.
Oh, and this appeared in the front page of the web version, just right of that gorgeous picture of Ms. Kim. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/opinion/puerto-rico-water-electricity...
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I enjoy seeing some positive news every now and then, not just death and destruction.
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What is written on the bottom of her board? It looks like Korean (and google isn't helping).
Burton. It's a brand.
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Looks like "Burton" to me, a Vermont-based company that makes snow sports equipment.
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It's "BURTON," the maker of her (and many others') board. She's on their development team, meaning they consider her an "up and comer" (!).
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I ski but know little about half pipe. That said, even I could tell that final run was something extraordinary.
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