Torrance’s Chloe Kim was one of three snowboarders with Southern California ties to soar into the final Wednesday in women’s halfpipe at the Milan Cortina Olympics.<\/p>\n
Kim<\/a>, a two-time gold medalist in the event, topped the qualifying standings<\/a>, advancing to Thursday’s final with a shot at a history-making three consecutive gold medals. She will be joined by Palos Verdes’ Bea Kim<\/a> and Wrightwood’s Maddie Mastro<\/a> in the final round.<\/p>\n Kim, competing in Italy just four weeks after a shoulder injury, showed no rust in the qualifying round<\/a> in Livigno. Her run included a massive big air leap, some 13 feet over the edge of the halfpipe, punctuated with a showy grab of the board, and also a 1080-degree spin while riding backward \u2014 a trick she can make even harder by adding an extra flip.<\/p>\n She then smiled huge for the camera and stuck out her tongue.<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve been doing this for 22 years,” said the 25-year-old Kim. “Muscle memory is a thing.”<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. snowboarder Maddie Mastro qualified third in the women\u2019s snowboard halfpipe.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Two dozen riders got two turns down the Olympic halfpipe on a partly cloudy day in Livigno, with their best score counting and only 12 advancing to Thursday night’s final.<\/p>\n Kim was wearing a shoulder brace due to an awkward fall on a training run in Switzerland. She returned to the halfpipe only two weeks ago. This marked her first truly meaningful run since last March.<\/p>\n “She’s been very well behaved,” Kim said, looking down at her left shoulder. “So I’m grateful for that.”<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBea Kim finished 10th in qualifying to earn a spot in the women\u2019s halfpipe final at the Milan Cortina Olympics.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Kim said she was hoping to link frontside and backside 900s on her second run, but she skidded a bit after the first one, so pulled up to save herself for the final, where she’ll go bigger. A few minutes later, she was in the crowd, sharing hugs with her boyfriend, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.<\/p>\n “I’ve landed all the components of my finals run, I just haven’t put them together,” she said. “So I’ll get to do it on the big day.”<\/p>\n Among her biggest challengers will be Mastro and Bea Kim, Japan’s Sara Shimizu and Sena Tomita, and Korea’s Gaon Choi, all of whom made the final 12.<\/p>\n They are all in the running for medals \u2014 and a gold one if Kim is not at her best.<\/p>\n he Milan Cortina Olympics<\/a> are Feb. 6 to Feb. 22. Click here<\/a> for a full events schedule. The Winter Paralympics are March to March 15 in Italy.<\/p>\n Los Angeles is the Olympics’ next stop in 2028. The LA 2028 Olympics Opening Ceremony<\/a>\u00a0is July 14, 2028 with competition through July 30, 2028. The LA28 Paralympic Games will kick off Aug. 15, 2028 and close Aug. 27, 2028.\u00a0<\/p>\n