Lindsey Jacobellis received the US its first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics as she seized victory within the snowboard cross, 16 years after lacking out on the title.
The snowboarder, 36, was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the primary US win of what has been an in any other case dismal Video games for the pink, white and blue.
She rode laborious all the best way to the road on Wednesday, beating Chloe Trespeuch of France and Meryeta O’Dine of Canada, changing into the oldest US girl to win a gold on the Winter Olympics.
After crossing the end line on the Genting Snow Park P&X Stadium in Zhangjiakou, Jacobellis lined her coronary heart along with her palms and may very well be seen grinning as she celebrated her success.
Her unimaginable comeback got here 16 years since she missed out on the gold on the 2006 Turin Video games, when she took an enormous lead into the ultimate soar earlier than she crashed on the penultimate soar whereas showboating and settled for silver.
Lindsey Jacobellis received the US its first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics as she seized victory within the snowboard cross, 16 years after lacking out on the title
The snowboarder (entrance), 36, rode laborious on Wednesday, beating Chloe Trespeuch of France (again), changing into the oldest US girl to win a gold on the Winter Olympics
The snowboarder, 36, was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the primary US win of what has been an in any other case dismal Video games for the pink, white and blue
Sina Siegenthaler (C) of Switzerland and Lindsey Jacobellis (L) of the US compete within the 1st run of the 1/8 finals of the Girls’s Snowboard Cross on the Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park on the Beijing 2022 Olympic Video games
The 16-year hole earlier than Jacobellis’ win additionally marked the longest hole between medals for any US girl, rewriting one other Winter Olympic document.
Her victory got here hours after the highest American racer, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, skidded out and failed to complete the primary run of the slalom, making her 0 for two in Beijing.
On the post-race ceremony, Jacobellis obtained one of many treasured Bing Dwen Dwen stuffed animals, lifted it over her head and stood there beaming.
Till Wednesday, Jacobellis was greatest identified for her 2006 Olympic stumble, and talking of that second, she mentioned: ‘They’ll maintain speaking about all of it they need, as a result of it actually formed me into the person that I’m. It saved me hungry and actually saved me combating on this sport.’
However lengthy after the dismay of her ‘Lindsey Leap’ in 2006, Jacobellis saved on using and successful.
Since 2007, she has amassed 45 World Cup podiums, 23 of which have been golds, and she or he had two third-place finishes coming into the Video games.
It marked 16 years since she missed out on the gold on the 2006 Turin Video games (pictured), when she took an enormous lead into the ultimate soar earlier than she crashed on the second-to-last soar
After crossing the end line on the Genting Snow Park P&X Stadium in Zhangjiakou, Jacobellis lined her coronary heart along with her palms and may very well be seen grinning as she celebrated her success
The 16-year hole earlier than Jacobellis’ win additionally marked the longest hole between medals for any US girl, rewriting one other Winter Olympic document
‘This feels unimaginable as a result of the extent that each one the ladies are using at at the moment is a lot increased than it was 16 years in the past,’ Jacobellis mentioned.
Her silver-medal Olympic efficiency has nonetheless adopted her through the years and she or he has largely chosen to remain out of the highlight.
At a media alternative with all of the snowboardcross riders final week, Jacobellis stayed again to focus on racing, her coach mentioned.
‘It doesn’t outline you,’ she mentioned, when requested what message she’d ship to youthful racers about errors of the previous.
‘Particularly for those who’ve made it to this stage, you’re a winner. And have a look at what you’ve realized from the expertise, and take that with you later in life.’
