Sochi Olympics: Jamie Anderson wins slopestyle gold medal for USA

SOCHI, Russia -- It was a gold-medal sweep for U.S. snowboarders in the slopestyle event this weekend at the Winter Olympics.

Whereas Sage Kotsenburg’s trip to the top of the podium was unexpected, Jamie Anderson was one of the favorites on the women’s side in the newly minted Olympic sport.

Still, it was anything but straightforward at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on Sunday afternoon.

Anderson pulled it out late, in stirring fashion, putting down a 95.25 score on her second and final run. Enni Rukajarvi of Finland took the silver (92.50) and Jenny Jones of Britain the bronze medal (87.25).

It was a historic moment for Jones, who won Britain’s first medal on snow.

Anderson, a 23-year-old from South Lake Tahoe, Calif., has won four times at the X Games and finished second in the event in late January. Karly Shorr, the other American snowboarder in the final, finished sixth.

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