Chloe Kim’s Secret: Why She Wears Toenail Extensions as an Olympian

Kim has the opportunity to create history by becoming the first athlete to “three-peat” in the women’s snowboard halfpipe if she secures a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

NEED TO KNOW

• Chloe Kim shared the reason behind her choice of wearing toe nail extensions during an interview.Women’s Health in January 2026
• The Olympic snowboarder revealed “the tea” about her choice, as she has “a hard time” with them.
• She has the opportunity to create history at the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be her third straight Olympic appearance (and possibly a gold medal win!)

Chloe Kimrevealed a secret hidden within her layers.

The professional snowboarder, 25, shared her approach to self-care during an interview withWomen’s Healthas she prepares to take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics next month, which will be her third time competing in the Olympic Games.

Although many of her wellness routines include healthy practices such as drinking smoothies and receiving massage therapy to ease her muscles as a top athlete for Team USA, she specifically highlighted her beauty secrets from her head down to her toes.

I get a mani-pedi every month—but the issue is, I struggle with my toenails because I always lose them,” Kim said to the outlet in a story published on Thursday, January 9, adding, “I’m missing two toenails right now.

Who could fault the flipping feats of an athlete renowned for her revolutionary halfpipe maneuvers, including her signature back-to-back 1080s, high-speed rotations such as the cab 1260, and dynamic aerials like the Method Air and Frontside 1080s. (In short, she can flip up to 30 feet in the air).

Even though she is dressed in snow attire, snow boots, and all the necessary gear, Kim continues to prioritize her pedicures, which is why she uses Gel-X toe nail extensions to cover her missing nails. Still, they don’t always work consistently.

They appear frequently,” she said to the source. “Once, I was on an airplane and my big toenail came off, and I had no idea what to do with it! I just tossed it in the seat.

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be Kim’s third time participating in the Games. She also has the opportunity to become the first athlete to “three-peat” in the women’s snowboard halfpipe by securing a gold medal in the event next month.

In November, Kim discussed exclusively the significant achievement and whether she feels the pressure to create history.

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“I don’t really experience that kind of stress, the snowboarding sensation shared about the potential achievement she has the opportunity to reach.

The stress that Kim claims to experience, nevertheless, is an emotion that will impact her performance in the competition, causing her to move from one wall to another, propelling herself several feet into the air as she executes a sequence of dynamic acrobatics before coming down.

“I believe the pressure I experience comes from wanting to give my best and see where that leads — but ultimately, I just want to savor this journey more than anything,” she said, then explained how her performance in Cortina will be different from previous years.

At every Olympic Games, I always start with a fresh set of objectives,” she stated, adding, “And I believe this time, I truly want to appreciate the moment and have a great time.

On Jan. 8, Kim tearfully announcedthat she suffered an injury while training less than a month before the Winter Games began. She mentioned that she dislocated her shoulder following a “stupid fall,” and was making an effort to remain “positive” regarding the circumstances.

In the end, Kim damaged the labrum in her shoulder, which is the lining that keeps the shoulder joint intact.another updatea few days later, the professional snowboarder posted on Instagram that she is “ready to go” for the Olympics.

There are two methods to approach it, and the method I chose is less intense than the other, so I’m quite pleased with that,” she stated. “Clearly, I’m very upset that I won’t be able to snowboard until just before the Olympics, which is going to be challenging.

She said, “I haven’t received as many repetitions as I would have preferred, but that’s fine.”

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