Lindsey Jacobellis wins Team USA’s first gold of Beijing Olympics

Lindsey Jacobellis is leaving Beijing with two gold medals. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Team USA notched its first gold medal of the Beijing Games, with Lindsey Jacobellis capturing gold in snowboardcross on Wednesday.

The American snowboarder topped the Olympic podium 16 years after falling just before the race’s finish line in Torino, where she had to settle for silver.

WHAT A MOMENT, @LindsJacobellis!

GOLDEN GOAT. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/x9g5wWFjXe
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 9, 2022

At 36 years old, Jacobellis becomes the oldest snowboarder to medal in the Olympics and the oldest American woman to clinch gold.

“This feels incredible because this level that all the women are riding at is a lot higher than it was 16 years ago,” Jacobellis said following the event. “I felt like a winner just that I made it into finals because that’s been a challenge every time.”

Chloe Trespeuch of France and Canada’s Meryeta Odine rounded out the podium, finishing .21 and .48 seconds behind Jacobellis, respectively.