MILAN — Chloe Kim is prepared to defend her Olympic title, even with one healthy shoulder.
When the halfpipe superstar tore her labrum in her left shoulder in training a month ago, her hopes of becoming the first person to win three consecutive Olympic snowboarding gold medals were in jeopardy. But she said during a news conference in Livigno, Italy, on Monday that she got back on her board about two weeks ago and her shoulder is “feeling good.”
In fact, the injury may have made her even better.
“I feel like I’m not moving around as much,” Kim said. “I feel like I’m much more steady because I literally can’t move this arm as much as I normally would.”
The idea that Kim, 25, could be any better than her Olympic dominance paints a scary picture for the halfpipe competition, where she hopes to debut a run she’s never done before despite competing with a restrictve brace.
“I feel confident,” Kim said. “I feel really good about how I’m feeling physically and mentally, and I think that’s the most important right now. … I have all the pieces done and dialed so I just need to put everything all together.”
Teammate Maddy Schaffrick is dealing with the same shoulder injury, although on her right side. She dislocated her shoulder at Copper Mountain, Colo., in December. She did not need surgery and didn’t suffer any full tears, but said managing the injury was difficult at first from a mental perspective.
“It was a matter of me riding confidently and kind of faking it till I made it,” Schaffrick said. “My attention, when it was in my shoulder and that instability or pain I was feeling, or awareness of my brace restricting me, that really held me back. When I just dropped into the rest of my body and me on my board, and felt that confidence, it didn’t hold me back.”
The 31-year-old Schaffrick is making her Olympic debut after almost a decade away from the sport. She was burnt out from snowboarding after turning pro at 14. She worked as a plumber, then as a snowboard coach, eventually working up to an assistant role on the U.S. national team. Being around the elite athletes, including Kim and fellow U.S. Olympic team veteran Maddie Mastro, inspired Schaffrick to return to competition, and her former proteges are happy to be teammates again.
“Maddy is the vibes on our team,” Kim said. “She always has the biggest smile on her face, such good energy, so positive. And I think that’s so special to have. So I’m really grateful that she’s here with us, because she always brightens my day.”
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