Connecticut Olympian Brings Home First U.S. Medal

The first medal awarded to team U.S.A. at the Beijing Olympics has gone to an athlete from Connecticut.

Someone had to be the first, and the very first U.S. medal awarded at the Beijing Olympics has gone to Julia Marino of Westport.

Get our free mobile app

Julia took home the silver medal for team U.S.A. Sunday morning by placing in the runner up spot in the slopestyle snowboarding competition.

It was almost gold for Marino who was in the lead of her event until the final run of the competition when Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand took the lead and claimed the gold medal. Meanwhile Tess Coady of Australia settled for the bronze medal.

When it was all said and done, Marino, who placed 6th in the qualifying rounds dug a little deeper in the medal rounds and pulled off that second place finish. She also told nbcsports.com and the nation about her accomplishment.

It’s a run I’ve been wanting to put down for a long time. This season, I didn’t necessarily get to put that one down. To do it here just means a whole lot different than anything else and I’m just so over the moon to have landed that top to bottom. I honestly have no words right now, it’s going to sink in at one point but right now this is just like on a cloud. This is crazy. The craziest feeling I’ve ever felt.