The attention was overwhelming.
It was last February, and Chloe Kim had been appearing at a series of test events in Pyeongchang. A media horde followed her every step, snapping her picture. Korean children flocked to her, hoping to get a glimpse of the world's best halfpipe rider—a girl who looked like them but whose accomplishments still boggled their imagination. (A promotional video from the trip released by the U.S. Embassy in Seoul—titled "Just Like Chloe Kim"—shows Chloe inspiring a group of young Korean snowboarders who, in Korean, say they want to ride in the Olympics, just like her.