US takes first gold medal of Beijing Olympics as Lindsey Jacobellis wins snowboard cross
US takes first GOLD medal of Beijing Olympics as Lindsey Jacobellis wins snowboard cross in fairytale comeback 16 years after missing out on the title
Lindsey Jacobellis seized the gold medal the snowboard cross on WednesdaySnowboarder, 36, beat Chloe Trespeuch of France to the Winter Olympic goldIt marked 16 years since she crashed and settled for silver at the 2006 GamesJacobellis became the oldest US woman to win a gold at the Winter Olympics
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Lindsey Jacobellis won the United States its first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics as she seized victory in the snowboard cross, 16 years after missing out on the title.
The snowboarder, 36, was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the first US win of what has been an otherwise dismal Games for the red, white and blue.
She rode hard all the way to the line on Wednesday, beating Chloe Trespeuch of France and Meryeta O’Dine of Canada, becoming the oldest US woman to win a gold at the Winter Olympics.
After crossing the finish line at the Genting Snow Park P&X Stadium in Zhangjiakou, Jacobellis covered her heart with her hands and could be seen grinning as she celebrated her success.
Her incredible comeback came 16 years since she missed out on the gold at the 2006 Turin Games, when she took a massive lead into the final jump before she crashed on the penultimate jump while showboating and settled for silver.
Lindsey Jacobellis won the United States its first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics as she seized victory in the snowboard cross, 16 years after missing out on the title
The snowboarder (front), 36, rode hard on Wednesday, beating Chloe Trespeuch of France (back), becoming the oldest US woman to win a gold at the Winter Olympics
The snowboarder, 36, was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the first US win of what has been an otherwise dismal Games for the red, white and blue
Sina Siegenthaler (C) of Switzerland and Lindsey Jacobellis (L) of the US compete in the 1st run of the 1/8 finals of the Women’s Snowboard Cross at the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games
The 16-year gap before Jacobellis’ win also marked the longest gap between medals for any US woman, rewriting another Winter Olympic record.
Her victory came hours after the top American racer, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, skidded out and failed to finish the first run of the slalom, making her 0 for 2 in Beijing.
At the post-race ceremony, Jacobellis received one of the treasured Bing Dwen Dwen stuffed animals, lifted it over her head and stood there beaming.
Until Wednesday, Jacobellis was best known for her 2006 Olympic stumble, and speaking of that moment, she said: ‘They can keep talking about it all they want, because it really shaped me into the individual that I am. It kept me hungry and really kept me fighting in this sport.’
But long after the dismay of her ‘Lindsey Leap’ in 2006, Jacobellis kept on riding and winning.
Since 2007, she has amassed 45 World Cup podiums, 23 of which have been golds, and she had two third-place finishes coming into the Games.
It marked 16 years since she missed out on the gold at the 2006 Turin Games (pictured), when she took a massive lead into the final jump before she crashed on the second-to-last jump
After crossing the finish line at the Genting Snow Park P&X Stadium in Zhangjiakou, Jacobellis covered her heart with her hands and could be seen grinning as she celebrated her success
The 16-year gap before Jacobellis’ win also marked the longest gap between medals for any US woman, rewriting another Winter Olympic record
‘This feels incredible because the level that all the women are riding at today is so much higher than it was 16 years ago,’ Jacobellis said.
Her silver-medal Olympic performance has still followed her over the years and she has largely chosen to stay out of the spotlight.
At a media opportunity with all the snowboardcross riders last week, Jacobellis stayed back to concentrate on racing, her coach said.
‘It doesn’t define you,’ she said, when asked what message she’d send to younger racers about mistakes of the past.
‘Especially if you’ve made it to this stage, you’re a winner. And look at what you’ve learned from the experience, and take that with you later in life.’
