BEIJING — Lindsey Jacobellis on Wednesday won the first gold medal for USA at the Beijing Games, besting the field in snowboard cross.
It was long overdue for the 36-year-old, who had a gold medal in her grasp in 2006 but infamously spilled near the finish line due to a premature celebration. Her chase for gold ended on Wednesday.
Her colleagues are thrilled for her. That group includes former USA curler Tyler George, who won a gold medal as a member of Team Shuster at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
During an interview a couple weeks ago, George talked about what goes on behind the scenes at the Games: the amenities, the swag and the opportunities to meet other athletes. It's part of the Olympic experience that the rest of us never see.
It was about four years ago in Pyeongchang where George was just minding his own business during the opening ceremonies when he looked over and discovered he was standing next to Jacobellis, whose career he had been reading about.
"I'm just trying to make conversation," George said. "Maybe she'll think I'm cool."
Jacobellis must have enjoyed the conversation, as George on Wednesday posted a picture on Twitter of him and Jacobellis from those games.
"She was very nice," George wrote in a text Thursday morning. "Put up with me and my banter, ha ha."
It was one of those random encounters between athletes at the Olympics that are unforgettable.
