Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard recalls 'hectic' morning before big win

Gerard is the youngest to ever win a snowboarding gold medal for Team USA.

ByABC News
February 14, 2018, 2:54 AM

— -- Redmond Gerard, 17, made history on Saturday when he took home the Olympic gold medal in snowboarding slopestyle at the Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games, but he was almost late for the competition.

Gerard, the youngest person to ever win a snowboarding gold medal for Team USA, said he overslept on the morning of the big competition because he stayed up late the night before.

American Redmond Gerard takes to the air on his way to winning the gold medal in the men's slopestyle snowboarding event at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea on Feb. 11, 2018.
Kyodo/Newscom

“Me and my buddy were just watching Netflix,” Gerard told Jimmy Kimmel on “Live” Tuesday. “I was supposed to be up 6:15. It wasn’t that long, but I woke up at 6:30.”

At that point, it was clear that it was going to be a crazy day, he said.

“I was running around the house in the morning. My jacket was missing, so I had to borrow his jacket,” he said referring to his roommate Kyle Mack, who he called “a lifesaver.”

    “I did want my jacket. It was a size small jacket and I had to step it up to a large, so I'm talking it was down at my thighs,” he added. “It was a really hectic morning.”

    Overall, Gerard said the day of the event turned out to be pretty chill.

    “Yeah [it was] really relaxed,” he said. “I'm pretty good with nerves before contests. I try to treat it like any other day.”

    Gerard, a native of Cleveland, also admitted that he wasn’t a huge fan of the Olympic Games.

    PHOTO: Redmond Gerard of the United States admiring his gold medal on the podium during the Medal Ceremony for the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle, Feb. 11, 2018.
    Redmond Gerard of the United States admiring his gold medal on the podum during the Medal Ceremony for the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle, Feb. 11, 2018.
    Dan Istitene/Getty Images

    When asked if he thought the Olympics might mean more to a 40-years-old versus a 17-year-old, Gerard replied: “For sure.”

    “I didn't really, to be honest, grow up watching the Olympics. It was always Dew Tour, X-Games, U.S. Open and all that that I was watching,” he said. “So I didn’t have as much pressure coming into it and it was just another event.”

    Gerard beat Canadian riders Max Parrot and Mark McMorris in this year's slopestyle snowboarding competition, making him the youngest American man to win a Winter Olympic gold medal since 1928. He said he'll return to South Korea on Friday to finish out the games.

    Redmond Gerard of the US in action during the Men's Snowboard Slopestyle competition at the Bokwang Phoenix Park, Feb.11, 2018.
    Sergi Ilnitsky/EPA via Shutterstock

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