Amazing Moments in Olympic History: 2002 Snowboard Medals Sweep

Watch video...  

With the U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix winding up in Killington, Vt. this weekend, we take a look back at a defining moment in the sport since it's inclusion in the Olympic Winter Games.

In 1998 snowboarding debuted as an Olympic sport in Nagano, Japan where Ross "the Boss" Powers became the first American to win a medal, a bronze, in the halfpipe.

Fast forward four years to Park City, Utah and Powers decidedly took things up a notch by winning a gold medal in the men's halfpipe.  Just one day after Kelly Clark won gold in the women's event, Powers was joined on the podium by teammates Danny Kass (silver) and J.J. Thomas (bronze).  This was the first American medals sweep in an Olympic Winter Games in 46 years and established the dominance of the U.S. team in a sport that had been invented in their homeland. 

Powers dominated the competition, achieving vertical of about 18 feet and nailing the technical side as well.  His best score of 46.1 beat Kass by 3.6 points.  Kass thrilled the crowd with his "Kasserole spin"-two upside down twists while grabbing the board-a move invented by his brother, Matt.  Coming fresh off a gold medal at the 2002 X Games, J.J. Thomas delivered with a combination of amplitude and style that earned him a score of 42.1, barely edging out fourth place Giacomo Kratter (Italy) by just one tenth of a point.

The effect of the American sweep and the attention it created extended well beyond the U.S. team and represented more than simply athletic achievement.  It helped build respect for the sport among mainstream athletes and officials while attracting a younger audience to the Olympic movement.

"Amazing Moments in Olympic History" will be published every Wednesday on teamusa.org.  Check back weekly to see more landmark achievements and incredible feats in the history of Team USA and the Olympic Movement.

Tags: 2002, Amazing Moments, Danny Kass, J.J. Thomas, Ross Powers, Salt Lake City