DORIAN GEIGER
Sports Editor

VANCOUVER – A day after running away with Canada’s second gold medal of the Vancouver Olympics in downhill snowboard cross, Whistler’s Maelle Ricker faced the media during a cordial press conference in downtown Vancouver on Feb. 17.

Ricker appeared relaxed but was unable to contain the excitement brewing in her after winning Canada’s only second gold medal on Canadian soil following Alexandre Bilodeau’s history-making moguls win.

For Ricker, Vancouver’s electric atmosphere and the display of Canadian pride for a small town snowboarder has been by far the most significant memory she will take away from the 2010 Games.

“Walking down Robson Street and seeing everybody in the Red and White was absolutely amazing,” gushed Ricker. “ Everyone’s out there cheering on Canadians, cheering on the athletes and really coming together as a nation.”

Ricker blew by the competition in the final run, staying dozens of metres and seconds ahead of French silver medalist Deborah Anthonioz. Prior to Ricker’s gold medal run, her main competition was speculated to be the American Lindsey Jacobellis. But the Olympics are about the making and breaking of dreams — with a lone motto: there can only be one winner. And only seconds into the medal run — neck and neck with Ricker — the two landed jumps that saw Jacobellis fumble and exit the box of the track, leaving Ricker sail to the bottom for an unabated victory.

“I actually had no idea I had that much of a lead,” said Ricker.

“I was so focused on moving forward and just giving 110 per cent. When you let off the gas pedal a bit things really go wrong. So it’s just pushing, pushing, pushing the whole way down the course,” added the snowboarding champion.

It was déjà vu for Jacobellis who, in 2006 at Turin, attempted some showboating with a method air on a final jump of her gold medal run, only to wipe out and surrender her snowboarding cross crown. And luckily for Ricker, the weather at Cypress moderately cleared up and she was granted a second qualifying run to place her in the semi-qualifying round. Had Ricker not been awarded an alternate qualifying run, Canada’s gold medal count would still be resting at one.

With most negativity surrounding the Olympics dissipating since the Opening Ceremonies, one giant problem remains for VANOC officials: the weather at Cypress Mountain. Tirelessly discussing the poor conditions at Cypress, the international media have been relentless in labeling the 2010 Olympics as one of the worst in history. These criticisms might be a tad exaggerated and Ricker was able to provide her perspective of the state of Cypress and her battle to overcome the snow, rain and the slippery slopes.

“The course was really tough and you had to be precise. Any little boggle, any falter can cost you, especially in the women’s (snowboard cross) your speed and timing had to be bang on,” noted Ricker.

“Every run the conditions changed. You had to be ready for it.The course got better and better as the day went on. We woke up to fog and rain which is actually something I love. I’m a B.C. girl; I’m not afraid of that. As the day went on the snow definitely softened up and became slick and the course was enjoyable in the finals.

– –
photo via Flickr