Jacobellis loses gold medal after final flop

LINDSAY JACOBELLIS snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yesterday in a manner that would have made Devon Loch proud, in the women’s snowboard cross final at Bardonecchia.

Like the Queen Mother’s horse, which famously belly-flopped before the finish line in the 1956 Grand National, Jacobellis appeared certain of victory as she led the field, by almost 100 yards, towards the end of the contest.

It all went wrong when Jacobellis attempted an ambitious ‘hot dog grab’ on the last big jump and fell upon landing, however, allowing Switzerland’s Tania Frieden, who had given up the chase, to sail home for gold.