The pioneer in the women’s snowboard slopestyle event congratulated the young phenom on her first-ever gold.
Team USA’s Jamie Anderson failed to make the podium on Sunday at the Beijing Winter Olympics, finishing ninth with a final score of 60.78. The 31-year-old fell during her first and third runs.
Had she won gold, Anderson would’ve made history as the first-ever three-time consecutive Olympic champion in the slopestyle event.
American Julia Marinowon silverwith 87.68, officially capturing Team USA’s first medal in Beijing. Australia’s Tess Coady scored bronze with 84.15.
“I just wanted to hop on here and let y’all know I’m okay, don’t worry. I’m a little sad of course. I wasn’t able to put down a run today,” Anderson said in a series of Instagram Story videos after the finals.
“But I’m so f—ing happy for the girls, genuinely. Jules f—ing showed up and put down a run. Zoi, nonetheless, slayed it on her last run and was probably the best moment I’ve seen in snowboarding. And Tess, you’re amazing,” Anderson continued.
“This whole next generation of snowboarding girls are so badass. I’m just so proud of all of you. I’m proud to still be here, I had a lot of fun on this course and I had a lot of love,” she said. “Trying to give myself a lot of love because it’s hard, this s— is really hard. But thank you all for the love, sending good vibes.”
Anderson will next be competing in the women’s big air qualifiers on Feb. 13.
While in Beijing, Anderson has been rooming with Marino, fellow slopestyle finalist Hailey Langland and U.S. teammate Courtney Rummel.
“Going to the Olympics is very stressful and you have so much on your plate. And this year it has been an absolute nightmare,” she said. “Just everything from getting here, I think all of us in the last few months – I was really struggling with everything it took to get here. Now that we’re here and settled in to our apartment and figuring out our food, and our schedule, we’re all pretty stoked.”
Recently, Anderson spoke about her future in snowboarding and what’s next in her career.
“I feel like I haven’t even reached my peak. It’s still a little bit up there,” Anderson told theOlympic Channel. “I would absolutely love to have a family. I’m not in a huge hurry. Maybe I want to go to this Olympics and then hopefully start having kids while I’m still young and then even have the opportunity to go to another Olympics as a mother.”
To learn more about Team USA, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Winter Olympics, now, and the Paralympics, beginning March 4, on NBC.
source: people.com
