PARK CITY ? French snowboarder Isabelle Blanc has regularly entertained athletes at the Olympic Village coffee shop with her guitar since arriving in Salt Lake City.
And on Friday night, the national anthem of France played for her at the Olympic Medals Plaza.
Blanc outdueled teammate Karine Ruby in the parallel giant slalom Friday at Park City Mountain Resort to win the gold medal.
"My dream is singing. My sport is to go fast," said Blanc, who writes her own songs including one titled "Snowboard."
Ruby settled for the silver medal, while Lidia Trettel of Italy took the bronze. Boise, Idaho, native Lisa Kosglow was the top American, finishing eighth.
Blanc, 25, had two goals coming into this snowboard season: win the PGS in her hometown L'Alpe d'Huez, France, and get gold at the 2002 Winter Games. She accomplished both, beating Ruby, the most decorated World Cup rider ever and 1998 Olympic gold medalist, both times.
"Today it was my day," said Blanc.
Ruby came into the event sick with a fever. Her strength began to fade near the last of the eight grueling races it takes to reach the finals.
"I'm happy because I gave everything that I had," said Ruby, who joins American Ross Powers as a repeat Olympic snowboarding medalist.
Kosglow, who expected a rough day after throwing her back out on the first run of the day, raced better than expected.
"I just tried to put it all aside and just enjoy the energy and the feeling here and racing. My goal today was to have fun. I did that. My riding was really solid. I made one small mistake that ended my day," she said.
That mistake came against eventual silver medalist Ruby, whom Kosglow appeared to be beating on the second run.
Kosglow dipped her shoulder on a heel-side turn, sending her board out from underneath her. "I think I probably would have advanced, but that's not the way it worked."
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