Lindsey Jacobellis officially has a teammate for PyeongChang.
Faye Gulini clinched qualification to her third Olympic Winter Games at the conclusion of the snowboardcross world cup on Friday in Cervinia, Italy.
Jacobellis, a five-time world champion, became the first American to qualify in the event last Saturday, thanks to her two podium finishes in this season’s Olympic selection events.
Gulini’s qualification wasn’t far behind.
The 25-year-old from Salt Lake City posted a career-best fourth-place finish earlier this month at the world cup in Val Thorens, France. Then she bettered that last weekend, finishing second in Montafon for her first podium.
With one qualifying event remaining, Gulini’s second-place finish in Austria meant her qualification was all but locked up on Friday, so long as U.S. teammate Rosie Mancari didn’t win instead.
Gulini would finish 15 on Friday, with Mancari one spot above her in 14th and Jacobellis in eighth, but the results still meant that Gulini’s Olympic spot was secured.
Gulini is primed to have her best shot at the Olympic podium in her third attempt. She is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Sochi Games four years ago after finishing 12th in Vancouver four years prior. She was also the fourth-ranked athlete in the world coming into Friday’s competition, with Jacobellis No. 1.
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
