"At an age when most Olympic snowboarders have already drifted into coaching, broadcasting or nostalgia, Nick Baumgartner is still doing the hardest thing in his sport: showing up to the start gate believing he can win. On Thursday at Livigno Snow Park, the 44-year-old American will race the men's snowboard cross at his fifth Olympic Games less a farewell tour than another extension of a career that has stubbornly ignored conventional timelines."
"Baumgartner does not shy away from conversation about his age. If anything, he leans into it. He has watched himself move from being one of the older riders on the US team to, by some distance, the oldest. He speaks about it with a mix of pride and defiance, often joking that time is the only opponent nobody beats, even if, for now, he feels he is still holding it off."
Nick Baumgartner is a 44-year-old American snowboard cross racer competing at his fifth Olympic Games in Livigno Snow Park. He treats continuing to race not as a farewell tour but as an extension of a career that defies conventional timelines. He openly embraces his age, framing time as an undefeated opponent he has not yet been beaten by. He won mixed team snowboard cross gold in Beijing with Lindsey Jacobellis, becoming the oldest Olympic snowboard medalist at that time. That victory removed existential pressure from his career and freed him to continue if he remains competitive and enjoys the sport. He aims potentially for the 2034 Games to inspire others.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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