Olympic Qualifying Starts Now; Kim, Gerard Clinch Spots
The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team is thrilled to announce the first two athletes to officially qualify for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games: two-time Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim in women’s halfpipe and Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard in men’s slopestyle and big air. The veterans secured their spots by ranking as the top American among the top three athletes on the World Snowboard Points List (WSPL) as of May 1, 2025. Kim took the world’s top spot in women’s halfpipe and Gerard was second overall in men’s slopestyle.
Despite competing in two different disciplines, Kim and Gerard’s path to Milan Cortina mirrors each other, both winning Olympic gold at just 17 years old in their debut appearance on the world's biggest stage at the 2018 Games in PyeongChang. The two became household names overnight and are synonymous with the sport, paving the way for the next generation of competitive snowboarding.
Kim's Road to Livigno
The 2024-25 World Cup season was historic for Kim. She amassed her eighth X Games superpipe gold, tying Shaun White for the most wins in the event’s history, secured a gold in the World Championships for the third time in her career, and, in her fifth career Laax Open victory, became the first woman in snowboard halfpipe history to stomp a switch frontside double cork 1080. Kim’s stellar season lands her on top of the WSPL to clinch her spot in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, where the snowboard events will be held in Livigno, Italy.
I’m so excited to be headed to my third Olympics and to represent Team USA once again," said Kim. "My goal going into the season was to secure this spot but I had a long road ahead of me which felt dire at times. I’m just so so happy!"
The 25 year old's relationship with snowboarding has come a long way over the past two seasons. Kim has admittedly regained a love for the sport since taking an extended break after the 2022 Olympics and her renewed enjoyment is as evident on social media as it is in the halfpipe, often posting training day recaps for her more than 1 million Instagram followers.
"Qualifying early has taken a huge weight off my shoulders," admitted Kim. "I can now focus on training and getting my runs dialed."
When asked about upcoming prep for the Games, Kim added,
"I'm gonna start making a list of restaurants to go too, so please send any recs my way!"
Gerard Back on the Olympic Roster
Finishing the 2024-25 season ranked second overall in the world, Gerard is set to make his third career Olympic appearance in Livigno. In 2018, Gerard took home the slopestyle gold, earning the honor of being the youngest American Olympic snowboard medalist. With two major sponsor changes over the past year and a renewed love for the backcountry, the now 25 year old is still at the top of his game, riding better than ever and leading the American slopestyle and big air brigade heading into the Games.
Despite a relatively quiet start to the 2024-25 season, Gerard earned his first podium of the season at the iconic Laax Open, taking second place in a stacked 12-man slopestyle final. He then headed straight to Aspen for X Games, defending his 2024 gold in front of a home crowd. Gerard capped off the World Cup slopestyle season with a second-place performance at the Calgary Snow Rodeo to lock in his spot as the top American on the World Snowboard Points List and guarantee the veteran a trip to his third Olympic Winter Games.
“I am beyond excited to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics,” said an ecstatic Gerard. “Going into the season, I had one goal: to finish in the top three of the WSPL and lock up an Olympic spot. At first I wasn’t too sure if I was going to be able to reach it, but as the season went on this goal felt more and more obtainable. It was the most I’ve ever competed in one year.”
Gerard has historically stopped competing in mid-February to film in the backcountry, but decided to continue competing for the remainder of the season to achieve his season goal.
“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my career of competitive snowboarding," Gerard continued. "In the end, I could not be more excited to make the team and be going to my third Olympics. I am eager to put my best foot forward in 2026.”
The remaining Olympic spots will be filled based on upcoming World Cup events throughout the 2025-26 FIS World Cup season. Read more on Olympic criteria here.
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For more information, contact:
Sadie Texer
Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team Press Officer
sadie.texer@usskiandsnowboard.com
About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic National Governing Body of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Started in 1905, the organization now represents nearly 240 elite skiers and snowboarders competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.
