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American Lindsey Jacobellis celebrates after successful a gold medal within the girls’s snowboardcross finals on the Winter Olympics on Wednesday (late Tuesday evening PT) in Zhangjiakou, China. (AP Photograph/Lee Jin-man)
By EDDIE PELLS and PAT GRAHAM AP Sports activities Writers
ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Lindsey Jacobellis captured the US’ first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday (late Tuesday evening PT), using arduous to the road in her snowboardcross closing a full 16 years after a mistake value her the title.
The 36-year-old racer was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the primary U.S. win of what has been an in any other case dismal Video games for the pink, white and blue.
The 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.
With the win, Jacobellis rewrites a number of particular entries within the Winter Olympics historical past books. She grew to become the oldest U.S girl to win a gold; additionally, the 16 years marked the longest hole between medals for any U.S. girl.
Up till Wednesday, Jacobellis was finest identified for taking an enormous lead into the ultimate bounce on the 2006 Turin Video games however pulling on her board in a showboat transfer as she rode over the crest, then falling and settling for silver.
This time, she rode arduous all the best way to the road, beating Chloe Trespeuch of France. She coated her coronary heart together with her palms as she slowed. On the post-race ceremony, she obtained one of many treasured Bing Dwen Dwen stuffed animals, lifted it over her head and simply stood there and beamed. Meryeta O’Dine of Canada received the bronze.
“They'll preserve speaking about all of it they need,” Jacobellis stated. “As a result of it actually formed me into the person that I'm. It saved me hungry and actually saved me preventing on this sport.”
That the primary U.S. gold would come from Jacobellis, and never Shriffin, or another person within the motion park – say slopestylers Jamie Anderson or Pink Gerard – was shocking. That Jacobellis would put herself within the win column in spite of everything these years was not a shock in any respect.
Lengthy after the embarrassment and dismay of her “Lindsey Leap” in 2006, Jacobellis saved on using, and successful. Since 2007, she has amassed 45 World Cup podiums; 23 of these have been golds, and he or she had two third-place finishes coming into the Video games.
“This feels unbelievable as a result of the extent that every one the ladies are using at immediately is a lot greater than it was 16 years in the past,” Jacobellis stated.
Nonetheless, that silver-medal Olympic efficiency has adopted her, and he or she 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 stated.
And whereas Shaun White and Chloe Kim can’t take two steps round this snowboard park with out getting seen, Jacobellis walked alone with a member of the U.S. employees a number of hours earlier than her closing. No person even seen.
The journey again down the hill could be extra crowded.
“It doesn’t outline you,” she stated 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 discovered from the expertise, and take that with you later in life.”