Beijing 2022: Redemption gold medal for Jacobellis 16 years on from Turin tumble

Lindsey Jacobellis, a 36-year-old snowboarder who in 2006 gave away an overwhelming lead when she slipped and skidded on a showboating last jump, finally clinched Olympic gold on Wednesday.

One of the most decorated female athletes in her sport, Jacobellis had failed to win Olympic gold in three Games since that fateful day in Turin.

On Wednesday, her Olympic redemption in the snowboard cross gave Team USA their first gold medal of the Beijing Games.

Earlier, a nightmare slalom run for skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin had cast a shadow over the American team, who came into the Beijing Olympics second only to Alpine powerhouse Norway for winter golds.

Shiffrin, who won slalom gold in Sochi and has dominated skiing technical events, choked back tears as she questioned whether she could pick herself up and return to competition.

"I've never been in this position before and I don't know how to handle it," she told reporters.

Petra Vlhova went on to win Slovakia's first Olympic Alpine skiing gold in the slalom without Shiffrin.

Norway and Sweden sat atop the medal table on Wednesday with four golds each. The Netherlands, China and Germany were closely behind. The US were in 10th spot with seven medals in total.

Thursday's competition in Beijing could have a very strong American medal foucs with several favourite athletes, including veteran Shaun White, in focus.

Figure skater Nathan Chen, who stunned Japan's ice prince Yuzuru Hanyu in the short programme with a world record performance, is within striking distance of gold in the men's singles.

Chloe Kim, who at 17 became the youngest woman to win a snowboarding gold at Pyeongchang 2018, qualified first in the halfpipe. Japanese teen Mitsuki Ono was second on her Olympic debut.

Kim, now 21,