The United States’ first gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, was won by a teenager born in 2000.
Red Gerard, 17, won gold Saturday in the men’s snowboard slopestyle event with a final score of 87.16.
This run was golden! 17-year-old Red Gerard gave Team USA its first gold medal of 2018. #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS https://t.co/a8E2Sv9O2T pic.twitter.com/XZZk0PCVqm
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 11, 2018
He’s the youngest American ever to medal in snowboarding and among the youngest U.S.-born athletes to win Olympic gold.
17-year-old Red Gerard is the second-youngest American man to win a Winter Olympic gold medal, and the youngest since 1928 (16-year-old Billy Fiske in Bobsled).#PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/ewdsertIkZ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 11, 2018
Gerard’s victory is the first in what Team USA expects to be a very successful Olympics on the slopes, both in snowboarding and skiing events.