Long-awaited snowboarding glory rewrites destiny for Lindsey Jacobellis and Queralt Castellet

For more than a decade, two snowboarders have been giants of their respective sports: the USA’s Lindsey Jacobellis in snowboard cross and Spain’s halfpipe supremo Queralt Castellet.

Neither have lacked success or podium finishes at the World Cup, World Championships, Dew Tour or X Games. However, in recent years, young athletes have risen to the highest levels of snowboard, including the USA’s 21-year-old halfpipe specialist Chloe Kim and Canada’s snowcross star Meryeta Odine. Jacobellis and Castellet have been winning titles since their new rivals were children, and at Beijing 2022 both were the oldest competitors in their respective finals.

Both Jacobellis, 36, and Castellet, 32, made their debuts at the same Olympic Winter Games, and while the former won silver in her first appearance, the memories of that day have been tinged with what-ifs. Since then, both have appeared at every subsequent edition of the Games but neither had achieved another podium finish coming into Beijing 2022.

However, in these Olympic Winter Games in the People’s Republic of China, the years of hard work and perseverance paid dividends. Jacobellis is now a double Olympic champion after two golds in snowboard cross, while Castellet won her first Olympic medal - a silver - which was also the first by a Spanish woman in 30 years.

"We are looking younger than everybody," said Nick Baumgartner, Jacobellis’ gold medal-winning partner in the snowboard cross mixed relay at Beijing 2022. "We’re embracing oldies for goldies! I don’t need a jacket right now as I have an inner fire burning."

The Games in Beijing are the fourth for Baumgartner and fifth for Jacobellis. Her recent gold medal represented a full-circle moment for Jacobellis who 16 years ago