U.S. wins its first Beijing Olympics gold as Lindsey Jacobellis takes snowboardcross honors

Zhangjiakou, China — Lindsey Jacobellis captured the United States' first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday, riding hard to the line in her snowboardcross final a full 16 years after showboating near the finish cost her the title.

The 36-year-old racer was competing in her fifth Olympics and captured the first U.S. win of what has been an otherwise dismal Games for the red, white and blue.

The victory came after America's top racer, skier Mikaela Shiffrin, skidded out and failed to finish the first run of the slalom, making her 0-for-2 in Beijing.