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Lindsey Jacobellis won the United States’ first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, charging to the finish line in the snowboardcross final 16 years after a mistake lost her the crown.
The 36-year-old racer was racing in her sixth Olympics and won the first gold medal for the United States in what has been an otherwise disappointing game for the red, white, and blue.
The triumph came just hours after the best American competitor, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, crashed out and failed to finish the opening run of the slalom, putting her record in Beijing at 0 for 2.
Jacobellis was most known before Wednesday for taking a large lead into the last jump at the 2006 Turin Games, then tugging on her board in a showboat maneuver as she rode over the crest, tumbling, and settling for silver.
She rode hard all the way to the finish line this time, defeating Chloe Trespeuch of France before covering her heart with her hands as she slowed. Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine took bronze.
It was odd that the first U.S. gold medal would go to Jacobellis rather than Shriffin or someone else in the action park, such as slopestyle Jamie Anderson or Red Gerard. It was no surprise that Jacobellis would finally have her name in the winner’s circle after all these years.
Long after the shame and disappointment of her “Lindsey Leap” in 2006, Jacobellis continued to ride and win. She has had 45 World Cup podiums since 2007, including 23 golds, and she had two third-place finishes heading into the Games.
However, her Olympic silver-medal achievement has followed her, and she has generally opted to remain out of the spotlight. Jacobellis remained back during a media event with all of the snowboardcross riders last week to focus on racing, according to her coach.
While Shaun White and Chloe Kim can’t take two steps without being noticed, Jacobellis walked alone with a member of the US staff a few hours before her final. Nobody seemed to notice.
The return ride down the hill may be more congested.
