Zhangjiakou: Teen snowboarder Choi Gaon captured her first World Cup title of the season in the women's halfpipe in China on Friday, after staging a massive comeback in her second of two attempts. Choi finished first with 92.75 points at the International Ski Federation (FIS) Snowboard World Cup in Zhangjiakou, China, 2.50 points ahead of Rise Kudo of Japan. Cai Xuetong of China finished third with 80.50 points.

According to Yonhap News Agency, this was Choi's first World Cup victory since December 2023 and bodes well for Choi's medal prospects at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Choi, 17, topped the qualification stage with 93.00 points earlier in the week, but she only earned 23.75 points in the first run of the final. By the time Choi was ready for her second run, she was in last place -- with three boarders below her after the first run having all posted higher scores than Choi's initial score in their second runs.

Choi went out and posted the best score by anyone in the final to snatch the comeback win. In a statement released by her Seoul-based agency, All That Sports, Choi said she attempted some of her best moves in the first run but bad weather conditions affected her performance. "I really bore down in the second run and nailed my moves," she said. "I didn't want to lose. And with the Olympics just around the corner, I will try to do my best there and have no regrets."

The next World Cup stop will be in Copper Mountain, Colorado, next week.