Lindsey Jacobellis doesn't have to answer to anyone.
The baby-faced American snowboarder did nothing wrong in deciding to execute a fancy "backside method grab" as she was cruising to what seemed like a gold medal in the finals of the women's Olympic Snowboard Cross in Turin Friday. Did she lose concentration while sailing through the air, hand gripping her board with the finish line in sight? Sure.
But Jacobellis' shouldn't be ridiculed for adding flair to the end of a dominant performance. All she did was lose an edge on the landing. She wasn't trying to show anyone up. And her trick certainly should not cast Americans in a bad light. The only thing Jacobellis' final run in Turin did show is that Americans rule the snowboard, and Switzerland's Tanja Frieden is now wearing Jacobellis' gold medal because of fluke.
Stoic amongst the criticism, Jacobellis can take solace in the fact she proved her superiority in the sport at 20 years old. She should easily be racing again in Vancouver in four years, and then probably four years after that wherever the Olympics may be. As of now, Frieden is just holding onto the gold for her.
