Winter X Games VII saw the Snowboarder X competitors riding a totally new course, one that according to course designer Greg Nevolo doesn't favor anyone in particular regardless of their size. Greg added 100 feet to the course, more opportunities for passing and a new rhythm section with 14-15 sets of doubles. The favorite lane among all of the riders was the #2 (the purple lane) and for many of them this lane proved to be the winner.
Absent this year was veteran Snowboarder X medal collector
Shaun Palmer who suffered a disastrous fall last year and retired after winning the semi-final heat. And our gold medalist for 2002, Phillipe Conte, well just wasn't here. Drew Nielson was one of the favorites going into this year's competition but he suffered a fall during a warm-up session yesterday injuring his hip. This unfortunate fall sidelined the favorite for the rest of the competition.
|
|
 |
| Snowboarder X winner Ueli Kestenholz out in front during a tight heat. |
This leaves us with one less big name Snowboarder X racer going into today's qualifiers. Familiar faces from past events included Seth Westcott (the silver medalist from 2002),
Xavier Delerue, Ueli Kestenholz (Bronze medalist in the 1998 Winter Olympics),
Jason Smith the local boy from Basalt, CO. and Ben Jacobellis (
Lindsey Jacobellis's brother) who was on fire all day long.
On the ladies side the Winter X Games VI silver medalist
Erin Simmons was in the house along with Winter X Games VI bronze medalist
Tanja Frieden,
Leslee Olson,
Line Oestvold and the youngest competitor on the ladies side Lindsey Jacobelis who like her brother was off the hook all day long.
In the men's quarterfinal an extra heat was added due to the push and shove match between
Lucas Dehmlow and Ryan Neptune. Dehmlow was DQ'd and Neptune ended up not making the cut for the Semi's. In the final round Seth Westcott the #1 Qualifier and leader throughout the event opted for the first lane instead of the purple lane because he rides goofy and wanted to face Xavier Delerue but this proved to be a bad choice.
|
|
 |
| Ueli Kestenholz (left) and Xavier Delerue (right) cross the men's Snowboarder X finish line. |
After a battle that began with the holeshot and ended at the finish line, it was the Olympian Ueli Kestenholz who nabbed the gold with Xavier Delerue in second and Michael Rosengren in third. The local boy Jason Smith came in at 9th. But out of all the action on the course it was the ladies final that proved to be the closest finish ever at a Winter X Games. All day long the young gun Lindsey Jacobellis was leaving everyone in the dust and making her mark. Lindsey at the age of 17 was the youngest competitor in this event. This is her third visit to the Winter X Games but she has never placed in the top ten. In fact, her best finish was 20th place in 2001. But 2003 proved to be her year and by a almost un-noticeable margin of .029 seconds she got her gold.
|
|
 |
| Lindsey Jacobellis (trailing) battling Tonja Frieden during the women's Snowboarder X competition. |
This is how it went down, from the holeshot it was Tanja Frieden who fought her way to the front while Lindsey Jacobellis was in the 4th position. Half way through the run Jacobellis had taken the third spot and then the second placing her neck and neck with Frieden as they approached the finish line. Frieden was in the lead but Jacobellis sat on her board, extended her arm and found this incredibly aerodynamic body position that placed her in front of Frieden by less than 6 inches - A mere hand's length and .029 seconds on the clock to be exact. This sent Lindsey walking away with the Women's Snowboarder X Gold and the best story of the day. The silver went to Tanja Frieden once again and
Yvonne Mueller took the bronze. An exciting day indeed for the women racers.
Related Photos:
Snowboarder X Gallery
