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U.S. Sweeps Slopestyle Snowboarding With Women's Gold

Jamie Anderson of the United States, center, celebrates with silver medalist Enni Rukajarvi of Finland, left, and bronze medalist Jenny Jones of Britain, after Anderson won the women's snowboard slopestyle final at the 2014 Winter Olympics, on Sunday.
Sergei Grits
/
AP
Jamie Anderson of the United States, center, celebrates with silver medalist Enni Rukajarvi of Finland, left, and bronze medalist Jenny Jones of Britain, after Anderson won the women's snowboard slopestyle final at the 2014 Winter Olympics, on Sunday.

Jamie Anderson's win in the slopestyle snowboarding competition has given the U.S. a sweep of the event following Saturday's win by Sage Kotsenburg.

Anderson's near-flawless run clinched the women's gold.

The Associated Press reports:

"The 23-year-old from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., did it, as is her fashion, when the moment absolutely required it."

"Down to one last trip through the treacherous Rosa Khutor Extreme Park course, Anderson took a deep breath, enjoyed a brief moment of "Zen" and showcased the skills that have made her the greatest slopestyle snowboarder of her generation."

"'I was really just trying to stay calm and kind of reserve my energy,' Anderson said. 'It was a lot of stress up there and even though it's just another competition, the stage and the outreach that this event connects to is out of control.'"

"Anderson looked at ease as she made history. While some of her competitors struggled to find enough air time to provide the series of spins and grabs necessary to impress the judges, Anderson floated through the gray conditions."

Enni Rukajarvi of Finland won the silver and Britain's Jenny Jones took bronze, her country's first medal at Sochi.

Meanwhile, American downhill skier Bode Miller, competing in his fifth Olympics, lost speed on the lower half of the course to finish a disappointing eighth. Austrian Matthias Mayer took gold.

ESPN writes that at the end of his run:

"Miller slumped over and put his hands on his knees, holding the pose for a few long moments as he contemplated a medal that slipped away."

"The New Hampshire native was one of the prerace favorites thanks to his superb performance in the training sessions last week. At the time of his finish, Miller was eighth of 22 skiers, far out of medal contention."

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Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
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