Five days after the opening ceremony, Team USA's gold medal drought is over, and it has Lindsey Jacobellis to thank.
Considered as one of the best athletes in snowboard cross history, Jacobellis couldn't manage to secure Olympic gold in four prior Games, including an infamous fall 2006 in Turin. But at 36 years old and on her fifth attempt, Jacobellis shined in Beijing while securing the longest gap between medals for an American female athlete.
Out of the gates, the five-time snowboard cross world champion took the lead as she entered the first jump and never looked back. As she crossed the finish line, Jacobellis looked stunned while fellow members of Team USA yelled in celebration.
Sign up for Sports Illustrated's free, daily Olympics newsletter
In snowboard cross' Olympic debut in 2006, Jacobellis became a sort of poster child for the pitfalls of celebrating early. With a substantial lead on the final jump, Jacobellis fell after attempting a celebratory grab and watched as a gold medal became silver.
“They can keep talking about it all they want because it really shaped me into the individual that I am,” Jacobellis told the Associated Press. “It kept me hungry and really kept me fighting in this sport.”
In the following three Olympics, Jacobellis failed to make the podium as the Turin Games continued to hover as a specter over her storied career.
Sixteen years later, Jacobellis will now be known as an Olympic gold medalist.
Sign up for our free daily Olympics newsletter: SI Olympic Daily. You'll unlock access to a daily rundown of the top stories from SI’s reporters on the ground in Beijing.
