There may be a 14-year age difference between Winter Olympics icon Shaun White and the latest snowboarding sensation, Chloe Kim, but that isn’t stopping people from comparing the two.
Both incredible athletes have achieved success at very young ages.
Kim qualified for the Olympics at age 13 but was too young to compete at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. The 17-year-old won her first gold medal Monday. White won his first Olympic gold medal at age 19 at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
Kim, at age 15, was crowned a champion at 2016 Burton US Open. White won his first US Open event in 2003 when he was 17. The two finished at the top at the 2017 Open.
Although White may hold the record for the most X Games medals, Kim booted him from his title of youngest X Games medalist. White won his first X game medal at age 16, Kim won hers at age 14. She is the only X Games athlete to achieve three gold medals before the age of 16.
In 2016, however, Estonian skier Kelly Sildaru became the youngest person to medal at the Winter X Games at age 13. Perhaps we have another winter sport phenom to keep an eye on.