Kaitlyn Farrington is surprise gold medalist in women’s halfpipe

“I can’t believe it,” she said later.

                                                
KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — For what felt like an eternity, everyone at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park held their collective breath. All they could do was wait. Kelly Clark, a four-time Olympic snowboarder, was the final rider of the day and had just put together a strong run in the halfpipe. But was it enough for gold? Or a medal of any sort? The judges deliberated.



Eager to crack the top-three, Clark waited with a nervous grin, partially hiding behind her snowboard. Hannah Teter, who won gold at the 2006 Games and was now in third place, crossed her fingers. Kaitlyn Farrington, the least accomplished of the group and yet the one sitting in first place, flashed a modest smile. Farrington’s father wasn’t far away. He could feel himself shaking.

All eyes locked on the electronic scoreboard, and finally the numbers flashed. Even Farrington was shocked at the results. A month ago she hadn’t even qualified for the Olympics. Now the number said she had a gold medal.
“I can’t believe it,” she said later.

And who could? Nine of the 12 riders in the field had been on the Olympic stage before. They were among the most recognizable snowboarders in the world. In fact, three had already won Olympic gold.

And then there was Farrington, 24. All she did Wednesday night was shrug off the nerves from her first Winter Games and show that a soft-spoken girl raised on a cattle ranch in the West could grow up to spin, flip and shred with the best of them.

“Who would’ve known she’s going to win this thing?” said her friend, Teter, the 2006 gold medalist who had to settle for fourth in Wednesday’s competition. “I don’t think anybody knew that was coming. So, surprise, surprise."

Clark took bronze, which means that just one night after the U.S. men were shut out from the halfpipe medals podium, the American women claimed two spots. Farrington’s was the big surprise.

She didn't even qualify for the Winter Games until three weeks ago. She said it didn’t sink in that she was an Olympian until she was on the plane to Sochi last week. Her goals here were modest; she simply wanted to reach the final round of the competition.

Clark took bronze, which means that just one night after the U.S. men were shut out from the halfpipe medals podium, the American women claimed two spots. Farrington’s was the big surprise.

She didn't even qualify for the Winter Games until three weeks ago. She said it didn’t sink in that she was an Olympian until she was on the plane to Sochi last week. Her goals here were modest; she simply wanted to reach the final round of the competition.