US Olympic star skipping Winter Games in favor of NBC booth: ‘I had to make a decision’

US snowboarding legend Lindsey Jacobellis will not be competing at the Winter Olympics in February

Lindsey Jacobellis will not compete in February’s Winter Olympics (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Olympic snowboard champion Lindsey Jacobellis is set to trade her board for a commentator's microphone, joining NBC's announcing team for the forthcoming Winter Games in Italy.

The decision marks a significant shift for the decorated athlete, who recently welcomed her daughter, Ayla, and has chosen to prioritize her new family life over another Olympic bid.

Jacobellis, 40, whose unparalleled career boasts 31 World Cup titles, six world championships, and two Olympic gold medals, acknowledged the difficulty of stepping away from competition.

"I sat down with my agent, my husband, we weighted the pros and cons," she explained.

"I am a competitor and I do like to compete but competition could potentially always be there. And these early years with my daughter, those are limited. I had to make a decision. Those decisions are hard. Being an adult is hard."

She will provide expert analysis for snowboardcross, a discipline she has dominated for over two decades.

Lindsey Jacobellis will be in the NBC commentary booth for the Games instead (AP)

Joining her on NBC's action-sports coverage will be Todd Harris on play-by-play, Todd Richards for snowboard commentary, Tom Wallisch covering freeskiing, and Tina Dixon handling reporting and interviews.

Jacobellis's Olympic journey began in Italy in 2006, an event famously remembered for the "Lindsey Leap" incident where a celebratory fall cost her a gold medal.

She finally secured her long-awaited gold at the last Olympics, adding a second in the mixed-team event alongside Nick Baumgartner. After that victory, she famously declared, "Don't count the old girl out."

However, Jacobellis is keen to stress this move to the booth is not a retirement, rejecting the notion that an athlete's career is solely defined by four-year Olympic cycles.

"Life doesn't work that way," she stated. "You adapt and bend to life. It's calling an audible every day.

“I'm enjoying learning this new time in my life. I want to enjoy that time. I've given over 20 years to this sport, solely focusing on my career and racing. I want to give at least this first six months to a year to, totally, Ayla."