BEIJING, China — U.S-born snowboarder Vic Wild is bringing a Winter Olympics bronze medal back to his adopted country of Russia.
The 35-year-old’s third-place finish in the parallel giant slalom on Tuesday came from out of nowhere. Wild came into the contest ranked 24th in the world.
Karl Benjamin of Austria took gold and Tim Mastnak of Slovenia took silver in the event.
The bronze medal came eight years after Wild won gold at the Sochi Games on the same day his now ex-wife took bronze in parallel giant slalom.
Wild grew up in White Salmon, Wash. before marrying a top snowboarder from Russia. He got citizenship there so he could compete for Russia starting at the 2014 Olympics after he was frustrated with a lack of financial support for the U.S. Team.
This is Wild’s third Olympic appearance, and likely his last.
NBC Sports reports Wild said in an interview with a Russian TV outlet that he will race for the last time this winter. The Associated Press reports Wild lives in Moscow and started a business that is doing well.
Wild won gold medals in the parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi before winning his bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Games.