It took five days for the United States to win its first gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, but it was well worth the wait.
In one of the biggest feel-good stories of the Games thus far, Lindsey Jacobellis finished first in the women’s snowboardcross on Wednesday. The gold medal comes 16 years after Jacobellis’ fall at the very end of the 2006 Winter Olympics race that cost her the gold medal.
Jacobellis, 36, is now the oldest snowboarder to claim a medal at the Olympics and the oldest American to win gold at the Winter Olympics.
A decorated snowboarder with 10 X Games gold medals, success at the Olympics has always evaded Jacobellis. Until now.
Lindsey Jacobellis is an Olympic gold medalist. pic.twitter.com/koafHGNRVP
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) February 9, 2022
This was the Lindsey Jacobellis race from 2006 Torino Olympics, where she celebrated too early and fell right before her chance to win gold. Hadn’t won an olympic medal since, now she has🥇at 36 pic.twitter.com/uri77SAGhg
— Magyar Martha Stewart (@tolstoybb) February 9, 2022
The gold-less streak for the U.S. was the longest since 1988, when the team went seven days before winning a gold medal. As of Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. is tied for sixth in medal count with seven — one gold, five silvers and one bronze.
The Americans’ next best chance at gold is Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. when defending champion Chloe Kim competes in the finals of the women’s snowboarding halfpipe.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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