Snowboard culture shares blame with Lindsey

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“It probably would be a good thing if somebody explained to the snowboarders that once they decided to sit at the adults’ table, they made the tacit agreement to play to win,” he wrote. “They made the decision to act like Olympians, which now means to act professional.”

At her news conference, Jacobellis focused on winning a silver rather than losing a gold, and proudly wore the medal around her neck.

“I really don’t care what people think,” she said. “I still won a silver medal, and no one can take that away from me.”

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Wescott, whose girlfriend Tanja Frieden of Switzerland sped past Jacobellis to win the gold, said people outside snowboarding fail to understand that the sport is a combination of athleticism and artistry.

“In snowboarding, there’s a huge focus on style,” Wescott explained. “It’s the aesthetic that draws us in.”

He said he brought out the same move that submarined Jacobellis during his gold-medal performance. But he never fell, so nobody noticed.

“It’s the nature of how we ride,” he said. “It’s second nature to us. That’s how we snowboard.”

Michael Lynch, a senior vice president for Visa, which used Jacobellis in a pre-Olympics ad campaign, said the snowboarder’s marketability should survive the mishap on the mountain.

“She’s a great person,” Lynch said. “She’s been an absolute pleasure to work with.”

Jacobellis had no concerns about the impact of her snowboardcross run on endorsement or sponsorship opportunities.

“I think it’s silly for athletes to look at a sport as a way to get better deals and endorsements,” she said. “It’s about the love of the sport.”

On Sunday, she’s flying home to Vermont for a rest and possible knee surgery. Her race has become one of the most replayed events in these Winter Games, and she’s likely to catch it while channel surfing back home.

“Of course I’ll watch it,” she said. “It’s something that happened, part of my history. It’s not the worst thing in the world. I still came out with a medal.”

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