American snowboarder Sage Kotsenburg wins first gold of Winter Olympics‎

Agence France-Presse

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Sage Kotsenburg of the United States claimed the first gold medal of the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday when he won the men's snowboard slopestyle event at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

GOLD MINE. Sage Kotsenburg of the USA celebrates after winning the men's Snowboard Slopestyle final at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. Photo by Jens Buettner/EPA

ROSA KHUTOR, Russia – Sage Kotsenburg of the United States claimed the first gold medal of the Sochi Winter Olympics on Saturday when he won the men’s snowboard slopestyle event at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park.

Kotsenburg only qualified for the final in Saturday morning’s second chance semi-finals and following Thursday’s heats had criticized the judges’ scoring after he failed to earn a direct route into the final.

(READ: The lone Filipino Winter Olympian)

But his first run scored 93.50 and although some of his rivals put in high scores on their second runs, the 20-year-old held on for victory.

I BELIEVE I CAN FLY. Sage Kotsenburg of the USA performs in men's Snowboard Slopestyle semi finals at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games. Photo by Jens Buettner/EPA

Norway’s Staale Sandbech (91.75) claimed silver with the penultimate run of the event while Mark McMorris of Canada, another who’d complained about scoring following an unsuccessful heat, took bronze with 88.75. – Rappler.com

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