Lindsey Jacobellis is an American snowboarder born on August 19, 1985, competing in the disciplines of snowboard cross, halfpipe and slopestyle. Jacobellis showed a canonical example of how to lose the Olympics because of her own stupidity. Leading by a wide margin at the finish line of the decisive snowboard cross race at the Turin Games in 2006, Lindsay decided to show off in front of the audience by performing an acrobatic element unnecessary in the cross; as a result, she fell on her back and missed the nearest pursuer.
At the two subsequent Olympics in 2010 and 2014, Jacobellis, being one of the main favorites, was eliminated in the semifinals. In 2018, at the Pyeongchang Games, she reached the final in snowboard cross, where she took 4th place.
Beijing marks the fifth Winter Games for Lindsey Jacobellis, tying her for the most appearances by a U.S. woman. The 36-year-old from Roxbury, Connecticut, is the most decorated snowboardcross athlete with five world titles, but she has just one Olympic medal — a silver in 2016 at Torino. Her other trips saw her finish fifth in 2010 at Vancouver, seventh in 2014 at Sochi and fourth at PyeongChang four years ago.
Jacobellis added a sixth world title in 2021 when she teamed with Mick Dierdorff to win the mixed team event. That event will make its Olympic debut in Beijing, so there’s a chance the two could team up again. Dierdorff, 30, of Steamboat Springs, also won the men’s world title that year, making him the first U.S. man in 14 years to do so. He’s headed to his second Olympics.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings