ZHANGJIAKOU, China — The American snowboarder Julia Marino took second place in the women’s slopestyle on Sunday, earning the United States its first medal in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Marino grabbed the silver medal, while the gold medal went to Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand, who also won at the X Games two weeks ago. Sadowski-Synnott’s win is New Zealand’s first ever gold medal at a Winter Olympics.
Marino was one of 12 snowboarders competing in the event, a pool that included the two-time defending champion Jamie Anderson.
Anderson, a star of American competitive snowboarding, placed ninth. She was a strong contender, but not the favorite, entering the competition. Anderson, a California native, won in 2014, slopestyle’s inaugural Olympic appearance, and again in 2018.
