Olympic champion Kim to take break for mental health

2022 Beijing Olympics – Victory Ceremony – Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe – Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza, Zhangjiakou, China – February 10, 2022. Gold medallist, Chloe Kim of the United States celebrates on the podium. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

April 26 (Reuters) – Double Olympic snowboarding champion Chloe Kim said she will sit out the 2022-23 season to focus on her mental health after a “draining” year.

The American became the youngest woman to claim an Olympic gold in snowboarding when she won the halfpipe at the 2018 Winter Games as a 17-year-old, and defended her title in Beijing earlier this year.

“Just for my mental health,” Kim told U.S. online news service Cheddar News when asked about the reason for her decision.

“(I) just want to kind of reset. I don’t want to get right back into it after such a fun, but draining year, at the same time, knowing that it was an Olympic year.

“I just want to enjoy this moment, take it all in and then back to it when I’m feeling ready, but as of now the plan is most definitely to go after a third medal.”

The 22-year-old also took a full season off after the 2018 Games to focus on her studies and her mental health.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be held in February 2026.

Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford

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