Whistler native Maelle Ricker captured Canada's first snowboard Olympic gold medal since 1998 by winning the snowboard cross competition just around the corner from her hometown, dpa reported.
Ricker grabbed an early lead in the big final at Cypress Mountain and eased to victory to join Ross Rebagliati - 1998 Nagano snowboard men's giant slalom winner - as the only other Canadian snowboard Olympic champion.
It was Canada's third Olympic snowboard medal after Dominique Maltais claimed bronze in the cross at 2006 Turin.
Deborah Anthonioz of France grabbed the silver in surprising fashion as the 31-year-old has not won a World Cup cross race since September 2005. But she did place fifth at the 2005 World Championships in Whistler.
The 2009 world championship silver medallist Olivia Nobs of Switzerland claimed the bronze medal ahead of reigning world champion Helene Olafsen of Norway was fourth in the big final.
American Lindsey Jacobellis was disqualified in the semi-final race, bumping into Ricker early in the run and losing her balance. She regained her control but not quick enough to avoid running into side marking.
The two-time world champion Jacobellis was just one race from getting the chance to exercise the four-year-old demons of one of the biggest blunders in Olympic snowboard history.
At 2006 Turin, Jacobellis had a sizable lead over Switzerland's Tanja Frieden and just two jumps separating her and the gold. But on the penultimate jump, Jacobellis crashed on her landing after attempting a trick.
Jacobellis could not get up quick enough and watched Frieden streak by for gold and the American had to settle for silver.
The 2007 world championship silver medallist Sandra Frei of Switzerland went out in the quarters.
The 2006 bronze medallist Dominique Maltais failed to even qualify for quarterfinals after getting disqualified in the first of two qualification heats and not clocking a top 16 team in the second heat.
...