The U.S. wins its first medal at the Beijing Olympics in women's snowboarding

BEIJING — American snowboarder Julia Marino took silver in the women's snowboard slopestyle final at China's Genting Snow Park H&S Stadium on Sunday. The second place finish netted the U.S. its first medal during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The 24-year-old Marino fell on her first and third runs, but nailed her second to claim silver with 87.68 points. New Zealand's Zoi Sadowski Synnott took gold with a stellar final run of 92.88 points. In third place was Australia's Coady Tess.

In a show of sportsmanship, each of the three women cheered for one another. Once Synnott wrapped her final run, and the final results were announced, Tess and Marino ran out to hug each other.

Also competing on Sunday was Marino's U.S. teammate Jamie Anderson. A third gold evaded the 31-year-old, who faltered in her final run to place ninth. Hailey Langland, also for the U.S., 21, wiped out in her final run and finished 11th.

Anderson previously won in women's slopestyle during the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, becoming the first female snowboarder to win two Olympic gold medals. She is still pushing to become the first U.S. athlete to win three gold medals in a row as Anderson will compete in women's snowboard big air later this month.

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