Intro:

Lindsey Jacobellis became the most decorated athlete at the Winter X-Games after winning her eighth gold medal in the Women's Snowboard Cross final in Aspen, Colorado, USA on Friday.

Script:

Snowboard Cross took centre stage at the Winter X-Games in Aspen on Friday and for several athletes there was still a chance to claim a place at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

In the women's final, the hot favourite was Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States, especially after Dominique Maltais of Canada, the 2012 X-Games gold medallist, just missed the cut for final.

Jacobellis got off to a slow start, but the 28-year-old triple world champion made up for it further down the course.

She had to battle with Eva Samkova towards the line, but held on to become the most decorated female athlete in Winter X-Games history with her eighth gold medal.

Samkova took second, while Norway's Helene Olafsen came third.

In the men's final, Alex Tuttle got to the front of the pack after a tight start, but his American compatriot Nate Holland seized the lead midway down the course.

The two-time world championship bronze medallist showed the best form over the final jumps, taking the greater speed to the line and Holland won comfortably in the end.

Tuttle hung on to take the silver medal, at the expense of Germany's Konstantin Schad.

It was a seventh career gold for 35-year-old Holland, who won five snowboard cross titles in a row between 2006 and 2010.