Suni Lee reacted to Chloe Kim becoming the first snowboarding woman to medal at three straight Olympics. Lee has been away from the gymnastics mat since the 2024 Olympics, but continues to be a support system for her fellow sportswomen.
Kim balances an elite career with her strong brand presence and public persona, inspiring the next generation of athletes.
Chloe Kim Gets Praise from Suni Lee on Her Historic Feat
Kim was the headliner of the women’s halfpipe going into the finals on Feb. 12, 2026. She already had two gold medals from 2018 and 2022 and was on her way to achieving a unique record of winning three consecutive golds, the first for a snowboarder. However, she faded to silver with a score of 88.00, as South Korean Choi Go-an emerged as the winner with 90.25. Kim couldn’t be what she aimed to be, but made history, nevertheless.
She became the first woman to win a medal at three straight Winter Games and received acclaim from Lee. The latter shared a picture of the moment on her Instagram story, and wrote:
“History sister!!!”
The gymnast paired her caption with a couple of crying, heart, and gold medal emojis.
It was a successful year for the snowboarder in 2025, as she won her third world title and her eighth X Games title, further adorning her already decorated résumé. However, at the beginning of the current season, she suffered a training injury in Switzerland, hurting her shoulder and rupturing her labrum. She was later cleared to compete in Milan-Cortina and did so while wearing a brace.
Kim won her second halfpipe gold in the 2022 Beijing Games, and after that, she took the 2022-23 season off to focus on her mental health.
Lee, the all-around gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Games, was competing in both elite and collegiate competitions when she faced a roadblock in 2023. The Hmong-American was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that made regular activities difficult. She displayed grit on the mat and wrote an inspirational comeback journey in 2024, en route to the Paris Olympics.
In Paris, she couldn’t defend her all-around title but finished third in the event, alongside earning bronze in the uneven bars. The 22-year-old also contributed to the team gold, headlined by the most decorated US gymnast, Simone Biles. After that, Lee relocated to New York to focus on fashion and other avenues.
Her achievement tally also includes three World titles, one of each color, and an NCAA title in uneven bars and silver in the all-around.
