Catalan Queralt Castellet wins Spain’s first medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics in women’s snowboarding halfpipe 

THE first medal awarded to Team Spain at the Beijing Olympics has gone to an athlete from Catalunya. 

Someone had to be the first, and the very first Spanish medal awarded at the Beijing Olympics has gone to Queralt Castellet. 

The 32-year-old took home the silver medal for Team Spain on Thursday after placing second in the halfpipe snowboarding competition.

American defending champion Chloe Kim won the women’s halfpipe gold at the Beijing Games and retained her Winter Olympic title from 2018 in the nailbiting race. 

But it was rider Castellet, from Sabadell, that had the crowd on their feet with a shock silver medal, finishing less than four seconds behind Kim on the opening run. 

The 32-year-old won silver with 90.25, coming in second to Kim’s 94.00 score. Sena Tomita of Japan’s took the bronze medal with 88.25.

Speaking about her emotional reaction to winning her first Olympic medal at her fifth games Castellet said:  “I am excited, I am very happy; it has been an incredible day, I have won the medal!”

“It has been incredible, I started a little bit bad and then all the nerves came, but I was able to get the round I wanted, in the second round; a round I have been working for a long, long time. Many years. I’m very happy.”