Lindsey Jacobellis, Nick Baumgartner snag gold in inaugural mixed snowboardcross event
Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner were the oldest duo competing Saturday in the initial mixed snowboard competition at the Winter Olympics. But based on their performance, it's clear that age is just a number.
Jacobellis and Baumgartner captured the gold medal for the United States in the mixed snowboard event in its Olympic debut in Beijing. At 36 (Jacobellis) and 40 (Baumgartner), they combined to be the oldest team in the event. Baumgartner is also the oldest US Olympian in Beijing.
In what was sure to be a dramatic finish, the event came down to the final heat. Baumgartner went first, and bought Jacobellis a 0.04 cushion going into her final run.
As Jacobellis moved up into second coming down the stretch, a crash behind her brought it down to just her and Italy's Michela Moioli, who was in first. Jacobellis soon overtook her, however, and hung on to finish first and secure the gold for the United States.
Both Jacobellis and Baumgartner were overdue for gold medals heading into Beijing, as they had combined for just one silver medal over their long careers in the sport.
Jacobellis got her first gold in the individual event earlier in the week. It came 16 years after she got the silver at the 2006 Games in Turin, falling out of what would've easily been gold-medal position when she crashed near the end of a run after unnecessarily showboating on a jump.
Baumgartner, meanwhile, lost the individual men's event in the quarterfinals. He was brought to tears in his post-race interview, saying "I'm 40 years old, I mean, I'm running out of chances. I've got so much support back home and I feel like I let them down. This one stings. This one hurts."
He later added, "I ain't stopping on this. I've got to do something better to end with."
He did just that on Saturday, as he and Jacobellis will return home to their loved ones carrying the gold.
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