Silver medal for Maltais in women’s snowboard cross

Silver medalist Dominique Maltais of Canada celebrates after taking the silver medal in women’s snowboard cross. (Andy Wong/AP)

Canada’s Dominique Maltais, left, celebrates her silver medal win with gold medalist Eva Samkova of Czech Republic, centre, and Chloe Trespeuch of France. (Jonathan Hayward/CP)
Canadian Dominque Maltais won a silver medal today in the women’s snowboard cross, becoming the first woman to win two medals in the event.
On a madcap day that saw crashes so hard one American had to be taken away on a stretcher, Maltais managed to avoid enough trouble and stay on her feet to claim the silver medal. Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic took gold while Chloe Trespeuch of France finished in third.
It looked like Maltais wouldn’t even make the final. She was fighting for third place in the semi-final but managed to the gap just as Australia’s Belle Brockhoff fell right beside her. The Canadian stayed on her board and seconds later the leader in the race, Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States, wiped out in front of her as well.
“I knew Lindsey was going really high in those turns. And I was going for the inside line. I had no option, I had to go for it,” she said afterward. “That’s snowboard cross. Today one of my goals was to have no regrets.”
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Her teammate Maëlle Ricker fell during the quarterfinals and did not advance. Ricker was the defending Olympic champion and entered the event with high expectations despite surgery in January for a wrist injury.
Athlete reaction
Bravo @DodoMaltais solide perfo!!! #wearewinter @CDNOlympicTeam
— Muncef Ouardi (@thaSheik) February 16, 2014
@DodoMaltais with another medal for Canada!! #killinit #GoCanadaGo
— Derek Livingston (@derekliving) February 16, 2014