The life of the average teenager involves things like applying for college, occasionally sneaking out the house late at night, and texting every waking moment of the day. The word "average" certainly doesn't apply to 17-year-old Red Gerard, who just made headlines for winning the first Olympic gold medal for the United States during the men's snowboard slopestyle.
The Colorado teenager snuck up behind top scorers Max Parrot and Mark McMorris (both from Canada) and stole the top spot with an impressive performance on Saturday (Feb. 10th). He found himself at the bottom of the score because of two faulty runs which contributed to strong winds at Pheonix Park. However, his third attempt was a redemption no one saw coming. Gerard breezed through a series of challenging slopes and rails in the final round, catapulting him all the way to number one. This makes him the youngest American male to earn an Olympic winter gold medal since 1928.
Watch the impressive combo that won him the gold.
Gerard, who is the second-youngest of seven children, was overcome with excitement when discussing his big win. "I was surprised to make it even to the finals of the Olympics and to get first is above me, I don't even know what's going on, to be honest," Gerard told BBC, according to CNN. "I cannot believe what has just happened - it is insane."
While Gerard is stunned to become an Olympian, it shouldn't surprise us given his history of advancing beyond his age. Per a profile on his done by The Washington Post, the Cleveland-born teen was walking by nine months and snowboarding by the age of two. He landed his first backflip at six years old. By age thirteen, he was already a member of the American national team.
Now that the bar has been set, fans are looking forward to his performance in the men's big air competition, which is set to take place during the Olympic Games on Feb. 21.
