Chloe Kim, U.S. snowboard star, says she has dislocated shoulder as Olympics near

Chloe Kim dislocated her shoulder in training and will get an MRI, the American snowboarding star said in a video posted to her Instagram account on Thursday, less than one month before the 2026 Winter Olympics are set to begin in Italy.

“I hate that I have to make this video, but I just felt that it was necessary,” she said. “… I’m currently in Switzerland, and on my second day training, I took the silliest fall. And that ultimately resulted in me dislocating my shoulder. Just so fun.”

The video included a clip of the fall, in which Kim’s snowboard appears to catch in the snow as she’s going up one side of a halfpipe, sending her tumbling awkwardly face-first into the slope.

Kim said she didn’t have much clarity yet on the extent of the injury and would get an MRI on Friday.

“Trying to stay really optimistic,” she said. “… Positive thing is I have range. I am not in that much pain. Obviously, I just don’t want it to keep popping out, which has happened.”

Kim, 25, is the two-time defending Olympic champion in the snowboard halfpipe and an eight-time X Games superpipe gold medalist. If healthy, she’s expected to be a gold-medal favorite at the women’s competition in Livigno, Feb. 11-12.

“I feel really good about where my snowboarding is at right now, so I know that the minute that I get cleared and am good to go, I should be fine,” she said. “I’m just hoping that doesn’t take too long.”

Kim pulled out of the U.S. Grand Prix, a tune-up event in Copper Mountain, Colo., last month with an undisclosed injury. It was the only pre-Olympic competition in which she had been scheduled to compete.

The Winter Olympics begin Feb. 6.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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