Gold medals are awarded to Jacobellis and Baumgartner
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Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States became the first woman snowboarder to win two gold medals in the same Games three days after earning her first Olympic gold when she and teammate Nick Baumgartner, 40, won the premiere of mixed team snowboardcross. Jacobellis, 36, surpassed her previous record as the oldest American woman to win Olympic gold since she is 72 hours older than she was on Wednesday.

Jacobellis and Baumgartner, the two oldest snowboarders participating in Beijing and the oldest duo racing Saturday at Genting Snow Park, are on a redemption tour. Baumgartner became the first snowboarder in his 40s to win an Olympic medal with his gold. It’s also reasonable to say he’s the only snowboard medallist with a 17-year-old son who is around the same age as some of his rivals.

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Baumgartner’s victory comes in his fourth Olympics and comes only two days after he placed 10th in the men’s race after being ousted in the quarterfinal round. Baumgartner sobbed in his post-race TV interview, stating he felt he had let his fans down by failing to medal yet again. He had no idea he’d be racing in the mixed team event alongside Jacobellis at the moment. He claims that on Friday, coaches informed him that he would have one more opportunity at a medal.

Baumgartner and Jacobellis were measured and accurate as heavy snow coated the course throughout the morning, their expertise their biggest benefit on a route that altered between each heat.
In the final, Baumgartner made a spectacular pass over a jump near the center of the course to seize the lead and give Jacobellis a little advantage going into her race. “Woah!” he said as he passed the finish line. “Yeah! Let’s get this done!”

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Jacobellis excelled once more in her final. But, as interesting as it was to see her run, it was much more enjoyable to hear Baumgartner narrate Jacobellis’ race. Baumgartner yelled and hurried to his buddy as she crossed the finish line in a tight squat, her characteristic blonde braid flying behind her.

“Oh my gosh, it was lovely,” he said before hugging Jacobellis. “You get another gold medal.”
Few people in the world comprehend what the previous 16 years have been like for each of them.

“The greatest in the world goes away with two gold medals now,” Seth Wescott, a two-time gold medalist, remarked on the broadcast. “And Baum receives his gold.”

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Jacobellis’ three snowboarding medals (two gold, one silver) tie him with Shaun White, Jamie Anderson, and six other Olympians for the most snowboarding medals.