An Olympic snowboarder pulled a dumpling out of her pocket for a mid-competition snack during halfpipe qualifiers
- Maltese snowboarder Jenise Spiteri competed in Wednesday's women's halfpipe qualifications.
- After one of her runs, the 29-year-old pulled a dumpling out of her pocket for a mid-competition snack.
Malta's lone athlete at this winter's Olympic Games took her first run during the women's snowboard halfpipe qualification event in Beijing.
And when she reached the bottom of the slope, she treated herself to a mid-competition snack.
Freestyle snowboarder Jenise Spiteri — who is representing the Mediterranean island nation despite her status as a California native — pulled a bao bun out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth while waiting for her scores at Genting Snow Park. NBC caught the funny, candid moment and broadcast it on live television.
The 29-year-old explained to USA Today's Lori Nickel that she struggled to eat breakfast ahead of her Olympic debut. After eating two of the dumplings, which she calls her "favorite food that we have in the village," Spiteri stuffed a pair into her jacket and forgot about them.
"When I was like strapping into dropping for that second run, I was like, 'Oh my God, my dumpling is in my pocket,'" Spiteri said.
Spiteri fell while attempting a backside 720, and she decided that taking "a little bite" might "help soften the blow of falling on that run."
"I kind of just gave it too much juice and came around to like 747 instead of 720 and couldn't hang on," Spiteri added. "But I usually really like doing that trick because not really many girls do back sevens."
Spiteri did not wind up qualifying for Thursday's halfpipe final. But the opportunity to represent the country her father and grandfather once called home — as their first snowboarder, no less — was really what her trip to Beijing was all about.
"I'm really proud of my Maltese heritage," Spiteri told USA Today. "Growing up in San Francisco, I really grew up as a Maltese American. We were very involved in a Maltese social club, we'd go to events."
"I've always felt as Maltese as I am American, and so to represent Malta and be their first snowboarder is really special to me."