OLYMPICS, SNOWBOARD CROSS. She was one of the top bets for the 2010 Olympic title and she answered all expectations: Maelle Ricker (CAN) has won the ladies‘ snowboard cross race at Cypress mountain. The current World Cup leader not only stormed to a wire to wire victory in the final heat but also into the hearts of her fellow countrymen by claiming the second Gold for her home country. France's Deborah Anthonioz came in as a surprising second with Swiss Olivia Nobs rounding out the podium as third. Reigning World Champion Helene Olafson from Norway had to settle for fourth.

Strong at the start as she has been during the whole season so far, Maelle Ricker took the holeshot in the final heat pulling out of the gate faster than all of her competitors like she did in the rounds before. The Vancouver native never looked back - even as her rivals Olafson and Nobs, who were battling for Silver, both wiped out one after the other - faultlessly riding down the tough and challenging 1,200 metres long course, finally fulfilling her dream.

"I tried to explode out of the gate. I really wanted to get out of that gate as fast as I can," said 31-year-old Ricker. "It was really, really hard today to get a clean run all the way down the course, but I just held on and did my best. I was really just focusing on doing the run going through."

By doing so the three-time Olympian got her personal redemption for the 2006 Winter Games in Torino where she crashed badly sitting in first in finals ending up fourth and in the hospital with a concussion.

Jacobellis misses second chance for Gold

While Ricker was able to blow out the disgrace of four years ago, the Olympic drama went on for Lindsey Jacobellis. The 24-year-old from Vermont also tried to efface unpleasant memories of her lost 2006 Gold, which melted into Silver in Torino due to a crash on the second to last jump of the Olympic debut course which occurred after she couldn't land a showboating grab; but the US girl failed to complete her mission.

In the semi finals, the 2005 and 2007 FIS Snowboard World Champion, overshot a jump landing close to Rickers board. But unlike normally the US girl, who won the small final later on finishing fifth in the end, caught the wrong edge, lost her balance and finally got disqualified after riding straight trough a gate.

But similar to the men's final the day before, Jacobellis wasn't the only Gold favourite who struggled with the slushy, soft and bumpy course. Top qualifier Mellie Francon who had posted the best time in both time trials - which would have earned her also a spot in the men's knock out rounds - wiped out without any external influences.

Challenging course exacts its toll

In addition, 2006 Olympic Bronze medallist Dominique Maltais didn't even make it to the finals after she had almost broke her elbow in a training run and spitting blood after another fall on the rain-slicked course in the qualifications. "I got scared to get injured," Maltais explained also admitting that her confidence had gone down.

The Montreal firefighter was one of 14 riders - out of 22 - who crashed at least once in the qualification runs, including Ricker who came back with the third best time in her second try unimpressed of her fall and wrapped things up with an absolute dominance in all of her final heats which made her the deserved 2010 Olympic snowboard cross champion.

FISsnowboard.com
Wednesday 17 February 2010