'A trick only I can do': Lee Chae-un to unleash signature maneuver at halfpipe final
Published: 12 Feb. 2026, 15:29
Updated: 12 Feb. 2026, 19:52
![Snowboarder Lee Chae-un smiles after completing the men’s halfpipe qualification run at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11. [KO BONG-JUN]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/12/db18faca-e752-416d-bf01-30447c44414b.jpg)
Snowboarder Lee Chae-un smiles after completing the men’s halfpipe qualification run at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11. [KO BONG-JUN]
LIVIGNO, Italy — Four years after his Olympic run ended at the qualification stage, Lee Chae-un has earned himself another chance at glory at this year's Games. The snowboarder finished ninth in Wednesday’s men’s halfpipe preliminaries at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, allowing him to move on to the final.
The 20-year-old scored an 82 in qualification at Livigno Snow Park. He put down his first run cleanly to secure the score, then fell on his second attempt and failed to improve. The top 12 riders advanced to Friday’s final, with Lee among them — the first Korean male to ever reach an Olympic final in the event.
He did not linger in celebration.
“The contest didn’t unfold the way I wanted,” he said in an interview following the qualification round. “The back-to-back 1440 I showed on my first run is something I’ve always done, but today I didn’t grab the board long enough. Personally, I expected to finish around fourth. I ended up ninth, so I’m left with a lot of regret.”
The snowboarder has built his resume on responding to setbacks. In Beijing, he exited in qualification as the youngest athlete on the Korean team. A year later, he became the youngest men’s halfpipe world champion in International Ski and Snowboard Federation history at 16 years and 10 months. He earned a gold medal in halfpipe and another gold in slopestyle at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics. He also claimed slopestyle gold at last year’s Harbin Winter Asian Games.
Last year, Lee underwent surgery to remove cartilage in his left knee and spent months working his way back. He has yet to return to full condition. The injury, coming ahead of the Olympics, took a mental toll as well.
![Snowboarder Lee Chae-un competes in the men’s halfpipe qualification round at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 12. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/02/12/cd9d9de5-1332-457d-b6c4-1de6adae34be.jpg)
Snowboarder Lee Chae-un competes in the men’s halfpipe qualification round at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 12. [YONHAP]
The final awaits Lee on Friday at the same venue. Qualification scores reset. The margin tightens. One clean run can flip the standings.
Lee plans to lean on a trick he believes could separate him from the field.
“I’ve been working on the triple 1620 for a long time,” he said. “In recent training sessions, I tried it four times and landed it all four. It’s a trick only I can do. If I land it, I’ll earn a lot of bonus points."
"Kim Sang-kyum and Yu Seung-un have already won silver and bronze in the parallel giant slalom and big air. Now it’s halfpipe’s turn. I’ll compete it my way and finish my way.”
Fellow competitor Lee Ji-o posted a 74 and finished 13th, missing the cut by one place. Kim Geon-hui, the Harbin Asian Games halfpipe gold medalist, fell on both runs and placed 23rd.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KO BONG-JUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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