United States Team 1 crowned in mixed team snowboard cross at Beijing 2022

CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The United States Team 1 won gold in the mixed team snowboard cross final at Beijing 2022 here on Saturday.

Italy Team 1 took silver and Canada Team 1 pocketed the bronze.

The mixed team snowboard cross is a new event for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, in which each round of the finals consists of two waves for a male and female athlete per team.

The big final was closely-contested, as Nick Baumgartner of the United States edged out Italy's Omar Visintin by 0.04 seconds, while his teammate Lindsey Jacobellis took a lead over Italy's Michela Moioli by 0.2 seconds.

Jacobellis notched her second gold at Beijing 2022, to go with her first-place finish in the women's snowboard cross.

"The team event is always so much fun. It's a different energy at the top, and to be able to take this with someone I've been on the team with for over a decade - close to two decades now with Baum [Nick Baumgartner] - it's incredible to accomplish this together," said Jacobellis.

Unlike Jacobellis, Baumgartner bounced back after being eliminated from the men's snowboard cross competition.

"It's different tears today. These tears are so much better. It's days like that when you're bummed out and you're disappointed that make days like today so amazing. That's why when you have that adversity, you can't quit. You keep going because the good things are coming," said Baumgartner.

The veteran partners - Jacobellis is 37 and Baumgartner is 42 - called themselves "'80s babies" with laughter.

"If I don't quit, she [Jacobellis] is not quitting," said Baumgartner, underlining their possibility to take part in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.

Heavy snow is forecast for Saturday in Zhangjiakou, but bad weather brings no trouble to the veterans.

"We've had so many heats under our belt that we have to ride so close to people, and in conditions like this, the draft is so important and you have to be able to stay in it until the absolute possible last second. That doesn't scare us because we've done it so many times," Baumgartner noted.