The pair were among the favourites following Jacobellis' women's snowboard cross win at her fifth Games, ending a long wait for the Olympic crown.

Jacobellis would not need to wait long for a second gold medal, aided by Baumgartner crossing the line first in the men's race, giving Jacobellis a 0.04sec advantage for the women's run.

Snowboarders are staggered out of the gate in the second run, but Italian Michela Moioli started within the blink of an eye of the United States as Omar Visintin almost matched the effort of Baumgartner.

Only 0.23sec behind going into the second run were Canada, after men's silver medallist Éliot Grondin finished third on this occasion, passing over to women's bronze medallist Meryeta O'Dine.

Out the back in the final was the second Italian team, led out by Lorenzo Sommariva and completed by Caterina Carpano.

Moioli established an early lead in the decisive second run, which became a two-way battle for the gold medal when Carpano landed on O'Dine's back in one of the more bizarre moments of the Winter Olympics, taking out both athletes.

Jacobellis reeled in Pyeongchang 2018 women's champion Moioli and was able to overtake her up on the inside on one of the final corners.

The American held her nerve to hold off Moioli by 0.20sec for the gold medal - and was even confident enough to perform a grab on the final jump, evoking memories of the similar trick which cost Jacobellis individual gold at Turin 2006.

O'Dine recovered to win bronze for Canada.

For 40-year-old Baumgartner this is a first Olympic medal, while 26-year-old Jacobellis now has three.

Martin Nörl and Jana Fischer of Germany won the small final to claim fifth place, in front of British pair Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Bankes.