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Winter Olympics: Who is Red Gerard?

By Amy Kaplan

PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 11: Redmond Gerard of the United States competes during the Snowboard Men's Slopestyle Final on day two of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 11, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 11: Redmond Gerard of the United States competes during the Snowboard Men's Slopestyle Final on day two of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 11, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images) /
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Snowboarder Red Gerard may have just become the next Shawn White after nabbing the first medal for Team USA.

Redmond “Red” Gerard is a name you’re sure to hear a lot throughout these 2018 Winter Games — and here’s why.

The 17-year-old snowboarder just nabbed the first gold medal for Team USA after a shocking upset in the men’s snowboard slopestyle in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Gerard, who hails from Colorado, was sitting in the last place heading into his third and final run after failing at having a clean run through on the first two attempts. It was the third attempt, where he showed innovation where other athletes had not, that he shined.

The American was awarded a massive 87.16 on the third run, putting him onto the podium with gold around his neck.

He bumped previously ranked first place athlete Canada’s Mark McMorris out of the lead after McMorris failed to land his third run.

Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Full Results:

GOLD: Red Gerard (USA), 87.16
SILVER: Max Parrot (CAN), 86.00
BRONZE: Mark McMorris (CAN), 85.20
4. Stale Sandbech (NOR), 81.01
5. Carlos Garcia Knight (NZL), 78.60
6. Marcus Kleveland (NOR), 77.76
7. Tyler Nicholson (CAN), 76.41
8. Torgeir Bergrem (NOR), 75.80
9. Niklas Mattsson (SWE), 74.71
10. Seppe Smits (BEL), 69.03
11. Sebastien Toutant (CAN), 61.08
12. Mons Roisland (NOR), DNS

Gerard has been on the slopes since just two-years-old and even has his own course right in his backyard where he and his six siblings can train.

According to NBC, he was landing backside triple cork 1440s – one of the most difficult slopestyle tricks at just 15-years-old.

He was the 2017 FIS World Cup slopestyle champion, 2017 U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth slopestyle winner and took fifth place at the 2016 Burton U.S. Open slopestyle.

This is the first Olympic medal for Gerard.

For more from the Winter Olympics, make sure to follow FanSided and stayed tuned to our Olympics hub for all the latest news and results.

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