Fans go gaga for California Korean

CHLOE Kim is the California beach girl with the bubblegum smile and bleach-blonde hair who shredded to Olympic snowboarding gold – and became the twinkly eyed face of the PyeongChang Games.

The bubbly 17-year-old with Korean parents and a mischievous wit triggered “Chloemania” as swooning locals adopted her as one of their own in the absence of a truly transcendent athlete such as retired figure skater Kim Yuna.

With Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi playing in her earphones, Kim set a blistering pace in Tuesday’s half-pipe final, storming to gold with a charm and grace that will leave a lasting impression long after the Olympic flame has gone out.

“There are plenty of examples of people who transcend their sport – one big example in Chloe’s own sport: Shaun White, the comparisons between the two are uncanny,” said Elizabeth Lindsey, of LAbased marketing agency Wasserman.

“Someone has to be snowboarding’s face and an icon – I think they just got it in her.”

Tales of how Kim’s biggest fan – her Seoul-based grandmother – boasts about her exploits over tea to her fellow churchgoers melted hearts.

Proud dad Jong Jin Kim went viral after he was spotted waving a handmade sign that read “Go, Chloe!”

Smitten fans, many of them Korean, chanted: “Chloe Kim, Chloe Kim!”

The serious business of chasing a gold medal took an emotional toll. With victory assured before her final run, the enormity of her achievement suddenly hit her.

“I was tearing up, I wanted to cry,” she said.