(Gregory Bull/AP photo) Japan's Yoshiki Takahara (23), United States' Hagen Kearney (7) and United States' Nick Baumgartner (10) run the course during the men's cross finals at the 2022 Winter Olympics on Thursday in Zhangjiakou, China. While finishing a disappointing 10th, Iron River’s Baumgartner still made Olympic history by becoming the oldest snowboarder — at age 40 — to qualify for the Olympics.

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria held off Eliot Grondin of Canada in a photo finish to win the Olympic men’s snowboardcross at Genting Snow Park on Thursday.

Iron River’s Nick Baumgartner placed 10th after being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Despite not winning a medal, Baumgartner did make Olympic history by becoming the oldest snowboarder — at age 40 — to qualify for the Olympics.

In the finals, the 20-year-old Grondin made it close by almost diving toward the finish line with his board. It wasn’t enough to overtake Haemmerle, who took home a medal — gold at that — in his third Olympics. Omar Visintin of Italy earned the bronze.

This was the first men’s Olympic snowboardcross final not won by either Seth Wescott (2006, ’10) or Pierre Vaultier (’14, ’18). The retired racers cleared the stage for Haemmerle, a three-time snowboardcross crystal globe winner.

Snowboardcross is an Olympic event where four riders simultaneously fly down the same course full of jumps, banked turns and other features. It’s rough and filled with spills. The riders were seeded based on a time trial and then took part in a bracketed tournament, with the top two advancing through to the next round until the final.

An emotional Baumgartner, who placed fourth in snowboardcross in Pyeongchang in 2018, spoke with NBC after the race.

“Heartbreak,” he said when asked what was going through his mind. “I don’t think people know how much we put into this. I put so much time and effort — and then one little mistake — and it’s gone. I’m 40 years old, I mean, I’m running out of chances. I’ve got so much support back home and I feel like I let them down. This one stings. This one hurts.”

Fellow Michigander Jake Vedder wound up sixth — second place in the small final — as a late injury replacement for the United States. He took the spot of Alex Deibold, who suffered a head injury in a crash during qualifying at a World Cup event leading up to the Olympics and couldn’t compete.

Baumgartner still had the opportunity compete in the mixed team snowboardcross event, which was to air in primetime tonight on NBC.