American · Iron River, Michigan, USA · Born 17 December 1981American snowboarder who became the oldest gold medalist in Olympic snowboarding history at age 40, winning the inaugural mixed team snowboard cross event alongside Lindsey Jacobellis at Beijing 2022.
Nick Baumgartner was born on 17 December 1981 in Iron River, Michigan, in the state's rural Upper Peninsula, and played football and competed as a hurdler in high school before attending Northern Michigan University. He turned to snowboard cross as, in his words, 'the perfect mix of my two favorite sports - football and snowboarding,' and reached the X Games within two years, winning gold in 2011. Baumgartner competed at four Olympics without a medal, finishing 20th at Vancouver 2010, missing Sochi 2014 selection issues aside, and placing fourth at Pyeongchang 2018 - a result he called particularly painful, saying 'fourth is the worst position to get' at an Olympics. At Beijing 2022, after being eliminated in the individual snowboard cross quarterfinals and telling NBC through tears 'I'm 40 years old, I'm running out of chances,' he learned the same day that he would compete in the inaugural mixed team snowboard cross event alongside teammate Lindsey Jacobellis. Baumgartner delivered the opening leg of the race with a slim lead, which Jacobellis carried home for gold, making the pair - with a combined age of 76 - the oldest team to win an Olympic snowboarding gold. At 40, Baumgartner became the oldest snowboarding medalist in Olympic history. He continued competing into his mid-40s, qualifying for a fifth consecutive Olympics at Milan-Cortina 2026 while working full-time pouring concrete in his native Michigan during the off-season, embracing the nickname 'the Blue Collar Olympian.'
Becoming the oldest gold medalist in Olympic snowboarding history at 40, winning the inaugural mixed team snowboard cross event with Lindsey Jacobellis
How They Played
Powerful, tactically aggressive snowboard cross racer whose football background shaped a physical, competitive racing style
Lasting Impact
Regarded as an inspirational late-career success story, whose long-awaited first Olympic medal after four Games became a symbol of persistence and longevity in the sport
Career Honours
- 2022 Olympic Gold Medalist, Mixed Team Snowboard Cross
- Oldest gold medalist in Olympic snowboarding history (age 40)
- 2011 X Games Gold Medalist
- 5-time Olympian (2010-2026)
American Athletes