With five medals in four events, the United States of America asserted itself as the dominant nation in the American-invented sport of snowboarding -- although France isn't far behind.

Led by gold medalist Ross Powers (USA), the Americans made Olympic history on February 11 with the first medals sweep in the history of Olympic snowboarding. Danny Kass (USA) took the silver and Jarret   "J.J." Thomas won bronze as the trio completed the first USA medals sweep in any sport at an Olympic Winter Games since men's figure skating in 1956.

The fourth American competitor, Tommy Czeschin, finished sixth.

Ironically, it was Czeschin who set the pace for the Americans during qualifying, posting the second-highest score behind 2001 world junior champion Heikki Sorsa (FIN) on the first run. But after a lackluster first-run performance, his teammates managed to regroup and charge through the second run of qualifying, posting the top three scores in that round and earning their shot at the medals round.

Powers soared above the field on his first run in the finals, linking back-to-back McTwists and adding a spectacular Cab cork-720 to impress the judges. The score stood up through the second round as neither Sorsa nor the remainder of the field could approach it. Sorsa finished seventh.

Nagano silver medalist Daniel Franck (NOR) finished 10th, followed by reigning world champion Magnus Sterner (SWE).

Gian Simmen (SUI), the gold medalist from Nagano, failed to qualify for the finals and finished 18th in the field of 33.

The day before, Kelly Clark (USA) got things started for the Americans with a gold medal of her own in women's halfpipe, electrifying the capacity crowd on the final run of competition with a score of 47.9 out of a possible 50 points. Clark surpassed reigning world champion Doriane Vidal (FRA) for the top podium spot, while Fabienne Reuteler (SUI) took bronze.

Clark, the 2000 world junior champion who won her first FIS World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan, a year ago, posted the top score of the qualifying round and followed up in the finals with one of the highest scores ever awarded in a women's halfpipe contest. Her combination of huge amplitude and difficult technical maneuvers such as a McTwist 540 and frontside 720 impressed the French judge enough to award a perfect 10 for her second run of the finals.

Clark rose to the occasion after Vidal used big amplitude to complement her fluid riding style and take the lead on the first run of the finals with a 43.0. Vidal attempted to up the ante by incorporating more technical maneuvers on her final run, but failed to land her biggest trick -- a frontside 720 -- and settled for the silver medal.

Several competitors suffered a similar fate, including 1999 world junior champion Reuteler, who linked a clean 540-degree spin with a 720 on her first run but couldn't hold it together on her final attempt.

Nagano gold medalist Nicola Thost (GER) had a disappointing day, falling on both of her final runs and settling for 11th place.

Vidal was only one of three French medalists in snowboarding competition at the Salt Lake Games, as teammates Isabelle Blanc (FRA) and Karine Ruby (FRA) finished first and second respectively in the women's parallel giant slalom on February 15.

Blanc, who fell from second to 22nd in her 1998 Olympic debut after crashing on the last gate of her second giant slalom run, charged through the field of 16 finalists, cruising to a 1.89-second advantage over her lauded teammate in the first run of the gold medal race. Ruby made a run to redeem herself after the two racers switched courses, but it wasn't enough to overcome the deficit and she settled for the silver medal.

Lidia Trettel (ITA), fourth in 1998, stepped up to the podium by defeating Jagna Marczulajtis (POL) in the bronze medal race.

In the men's competition, 15th seed Philipp Schoch (SUI), who had never been on the podium in World Cup, World Championship or Olympic competition, shocked the field by upsetting No. 2 seed Alexander Maier (AUT) in the opening round en route to the gold medal race against Richard Richardsson (SWE).

Richardsson, the 1999 world champion in parallel giant slalom, took a .24-second advantage in the first run of the finals but couldn't hold on after the course change and was disqualified when he crashed on his second run, settling for silver.

Sentimental favorite Chris Klug (USA), who underwent a liver transplant in 2000 and returned to World Cup competition only four months later, took a .15-second lead over two-time world champion Nicolas Huet (FRA) in the first run of the bronze medal race and clinched a podium spot with a dominant final run.