Lindsey Jacobellis, a 36-year-old snowboarder who in 2006 gave away an overwhelming lead when she slipped and skidded on a showboating last jump, finally clinched Olympic gold on Wednesday.
One of the most decorated female athletes in her sport, Jacobellis had failed to win Olympic gold in three Games since that fateful day in Turin.
On Wednesday, her Olympic redemption in the snowboard cross gave Team USA their first gold medal of the Beijing Games.
Earlier, a nightmare slalom run for skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin had cast a shadow over the American team, who came into the Beijing Olympics second only to Alpine powerhouse Norway for winter golds.
Shiffrin, who won slalom gold in Sochi and has dominated skiing technical events, choked back tears as she questioned whether she could pick herself up and return to competition.
"I've never been in this position before and I don't know how to handle it," she told reporters.
Petra Vlhova went on to win Slovakia's first Olympic Alpine skiing gold in the slalom without Shiffrin.
Norway and Sweden sat atop the medal table on Wednesday with four golds each. The Netherlands, China and Germany were closely behind. The US were in 10th spot with seven medals in total.
Thursday's competition in Beijing could have a very strong American medal foucs with several favourite athletes, including veteran Shaun White, in focus.
Figure skater Nathan Chen, who stunned Japan's ice prince Yuzuru Hanyu in the short programme with a world record performance, is within striking distance of gold in the men's singles.
Chloe Kim, who at 17 became the youngest woman to win a snowboarding gold at Pyeongchang 2018, qualified first in the halfpipe. Japanese teen Mitsuki Ono was second on her Olympic debut.
Kim, now 21, took nearly two years off the mountain to focus on her studies and her mental health after she suffered burnout in the wake of her last Olympics.
"I'm honestly in such a good place right now - just so grateful, taking it all in, and I'm so excited for tomorrow," Kim said, before hurrying off the course in search of food.
On Friday, snowboarding great Shaun White could get his chance in the halfpipe after advancing in qualifying after fumbling his first run.
White, who is in Beijing to compete in his fifth and final Games, fell during his opening run, after he failed on a trick and slid down the side of the icy halfpipe on his back.
But the exuberant 35-year-old pumped his fist in the air after his second run, ripping off his goggles to scream with delight as his team mates and other supporters in the stands erupted in cheers.
"I had to fight for it, I had to work for it and that's been this entire season, me just grinding it out and working for it," White said. Ireland's Seamus O'Connor missed out on a place in the top 12 to qualify for Friday's final as he finished 15th.
