GERARD GRABS SLOPESTYLE GOLD FOR US

American teen first Winter Games medallist born this century

TEEN sensation Red Gerard nailed a tension-packed final jump on Sunday to win the slopestyle snowboarding and become the first Winter Olympic medallist born this century.

Aged 17 and 227 days, Gerard handed the US their first gold of the Pyeongchang Games with his slopestyle win, making him the youngest US Winter Olympic champion since 1928.

Gerard, born on June 29, 2000, also set a record for the youngest gold medallist in any snowboarding event that was held previously by Kelly Clark, the 2002 women’s halfpipe champion at age 18 years and 199 days.

The first medallist born in the 2000’s, Gerard is also the youngest US man to win Winter Olympic gold since 16-year-old bobsled driver Billy Fiske piloted a five-man crew to the title 90 years ago.

“I cannot believe it,” Gerard said. “I’m shaking right now, maybe from the cold, or the excitement.

“I don’t know. But I’m ecstatic. I can’t believe it.

The 17-year-old landed a backside triple cork — a triple-twisting trick with a flip — to score 87.16 points on his final run to snatch victory from Canadians Max Parrot, who took silver, and Mark McMorris, who picked up a second bronze after Sochi four years ago.

Gerard was off the pace after the first and second runs, scoring 43.33 and 46.40, before somehow summoning up an enormous last effort.

The only younger individual event Winter Olympic champion than Gerard was Finnish 16-yearold ski jumper Toni Nieminen in 1992.

Meanwhile, Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer raced into the record books on Sunday by winning his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the men’s 5,000 metres.

Kramer, the first man to win three golds in the same speed skating event at the Winter Games, set an Olympic record of six minutes 09.76 seconds, finishing ahead of Canada’s TedJan Bloemen with Norway’s Sverre Lunde Pedersen claiming bronze.

The 31-year-old, who won silver in the 5,000m at the Games in Turin in 2006 as well as gold in Vancouver and Sochi, started strongly and settled into a steady rhythm as he glided to victory in Gangneung.

Kramer is the second male speed skater to win four Olympic medals in a single event, following in the footsteps of compatriot Bob de Jong, who got four medals in the men’s 10,000m.

Bloemen, the world record holder in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, edged out Pedersen for silver in a dramatic photo finish.