Lindsey Jacobellis captured the United States' first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, 16 years after showboating near the finish cost her gold.
ZHANGJIAKOU, China -- Lindsey Jacobellis captured the United States' first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, riding hard to the line in her snowboardcross final a full 16 years after showboating near the finish cost her the title.
With the win, Jacobellis rewrites a few special entries in the Winter Olympics history books. She became the oldest U.S woman to win a gold; also, the 16 years marked the longest gap between medals for any U.S. woman. "They can keep talking about it all they want," Jacobellis said."Because it really shaped me into the individual that I am. It kept me hungry and really kept me fighting in this sport."