44-Year-Old Baumgartner Misses Olympic Finals by 0.08 Seconds

In a dramatic photo finish at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy, 44-year-old American snowboarder Nick Baumgartner missed advancing to the snowboard cross finals by just 0.08 seconds on Thursday, ultimately finishing seventh overall in the event.

Baumgartner, competing in his fifth Olympics and the oldest member of Team USA's snowboarding squad by 14 years, delivered a strong performance throughout the day in Livigno. He started with a challenging seeding run but rebounded impressively in subsequent heats. In the quarterfinals, he surged ahead in the final moments to claim first in his group of four. The semifinals proved decisive, as Baumgartner trailed closely behind Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle for the second qualifying spot, with Canada's Eliot Grondin taking the lead. Judges confirmed the narrow margin after review, sending Baumgartner to the consolation final instead.

There, he secured third place among competitors, including a race against 17-year-old Jonas Chollet of an unspecified nation. Haemmerle went on to win gold in the main final, with Grondin earning silver and Haemmerle's countryman Jakob Dusek taking bronze. Baumgartner later reflected on the...