Chloe Kim's narrow halfpipe loss prompts debate over judges' call

Gaon Choi won the women's Olympic halfpipe with a 90.25 score, edging Chloe Kim, who landed a double-cork 1080 but finished with silver; judges said they score each run as a whole, weighing air, difficulty, variety and progression.

Gaon Choi narrowly beat Chloe Kim to win the women's halfpipe gold at the Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, leaving Kim with the silver medal. Kim landed a double-cork 1080 during the event, while Choi's run included different-direction spins and higher air. Judges awarded Choi a winning run score of 90.25; Kim had an 88 on her first run and fell on two subsequent attempts. The result has prompted discussion about how judges balance flips, spins, height and progression when scoring. Key details: - Gaon Choi won gold with a score of 90.25; Chloe Kim took silver. - Kim landed a double-cork 1080; Choi's run featured a switch-backside 900 and about eight inches more air than Kim's biggest air. - Judges score halfpipe runs on a 1-100 scale as whole packages, considering height, difficulty, variety, style and an element called "progression." - Kim scored 88 on her first run and fell on her next two attempts, including after Choi's winning run. - Japan's Sara Shimizu was the only other rider to land a double cork in a complete run and finished one point behind teammate Mitsuki Ono for bronze. Summary: The close result has highlighted a longstanding debate in snowboarding over whether judges should reward flipping tricks or directional spins and style. Officials and commentators note that judges seek to rank complete runs rather than tally individual tricks. The discussion is likely to continue into the men's halfpipe contest scheduled for Friday night. Undetermined at this time.