NEWS
Wescott Charges to 2nd Straight Gold
02/15/2010
Wescott Charges to 2nd Straight Gold
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Seth Wescott(R) of the US, after winning the Men's Snowboard SBX final at Cypress Mountain during the Vancouver Winter Olympics. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)
CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 15) – Adding a little congruity to a sport known for chaos, Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME) ripped his way through the final heat to score a dramatic, second consecutive Olympic snowboardcross gold medal on Monday.
Wescott, who becomes the first American skier or snowboarder since Andrea Mead Lawrence in 1952 to win two golds, overtook Canadian Mike Robertson late in a thrilling charge to the finish, then dropped to his knees and cloaked himself in his grandfather's World War II American service flag.
"I knew that if I could stay with them to lower parts and try to execute those turns a bit better, that I could probably generate speed to that final straightaway, and it worked," Wescott said after starting from fourth position to give the U.S. Olympic Team its second gold of these Games.
Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, CA), a five-time X Games gold medalist who edged Wescott less than two weeks ago in Aspen, CO, spun out early and seemingly gifted the race to Robertson.
"I was going toe-to-toe with Robertson for a gold medal," Holland said. "Coaches told me that Robertson was getting great starts, but I'm faster on the course, so just be patient.
"I knew I was riding really well on the course and I like to battle. I was happy to do that. I was actually setting him up for that next straightaway - that's where I was going to pull a pass. You know, it just didn't work out. A snow snake got me, and what can you do?"
His teammate and friend seized on the opportunity, with Wescott taking riskier lines than the other riders and soon finding himself on Robertson's tail before executing an expertly timed right-hand pass for the lead.
Finding the strength to maintain his advantage was no problem for the 33-year-old who injured his leg and pelvis competing in Telluride in December and couldn't walk for two weeks.
"It hurt bad for a while and it took about six weeks to loosen up," Wescott said. "Once I got through X Games 12 days ago, that was the first time really since December that my body felt good."
Another issue for Wescott had been staying amped when he was already so accomplished, and injuries continued to be such a struggle - a problem that a return to the Olympics helped him clear up.
"It's hard for me to be super motivated week in and week out on the World Cup," he said. "I've just been at it too long. You need something like this or the X Games or the World Championships to get motivated. That gives you a level of energy that you don't have week in and week out.
"It was amazing to do it the first time," Wescott said of his win in Torino. "My focus really had changed from February of '03, when we found out that snowboardcross was going to be in the Olympics, I quit riding halfpipe and focused solely on it. To have had the ups and downs in the last four years – from shattering my arm to not necessarily having the best motivation all the time – it's amazing to come and stand on this stage again and to do it."
Wescott had instructed a friend to keep his grandfather's flag in a safe place at the finish line, where his father had it for him in Torino.
"It's a powerful thing for me," said Wescott, who started 17th of 32 riders after qualifcations. "We rarely as snowboard athletes get to compete in front of our families, and to have something like that that's a memento from my grandfather is a powerful thing to be able to show to the world."
Meanwhile, a still-chipper Holland said he's resigned to accept his fate as one half of his home nation's grip on the premier international snowboardcross events.
"I'm so fired up for Wescott," Holland said. "To double gold in the 'Olys,' to repeat in the 'Olys,' that's pretty amazing. I guess I'll just let him have the 'Olys,' and I'll take control of the X Games, and together as teammates we'll just control the two biggest snowboard races in the world."
The U.S. Snowboarding Team qualified all four of its riders, with Graham Watanabe (Sun Valley, ID) recording the second fastest time only to lose a photo finish that would have advanced him to the second round. Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, MI) slid off course after a mistake.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park – Feb. 15
Men's Snowboardcross
Gold – Seth Wescott, Sugarloaf, ME
Silver – Mike Robertson, Canada
Bronze – Tony Ramoin, France
4. Nate Holland, Squaw Valley, CA
5. Robert Fagan, Canada
-
17. Graham Watanabe, Sun Valley, ID
20. Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, MI
