Maelle Ricker
Encyclopedia
Maëlle Danica Ricker is a Canadian snowboarder who currently resides in Squamish, British Columbia
. She won the Gold Medal in the snowboard cross
event at the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal on home soil at the Olympics.
during the 1996-97 season, twice standing on the podium in her rookie season. She competed at her first Olympics in 1998 in Nagano
where only parallel giant slalom and halfpipe were Olympic snowboard events. Ricker competed in the halfpipe event placing fifth. After Nagano, Ricker began competing in multiple snowboard disciplines, competing in both the halfpipe and in the newer sport of boarder cross. She won her first World Cup gold in the discipline of snowboard cross later that year in 1998. She was forced to skip the 2002 Winter Olympics
because of injury. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
she placed 4th in the Women's Snowboard Cross
event. She crashed hard in the race, and was hospitalized with a minor concussion. Ricker later said that she did not remember her crash, and that finishing fourth in 2006 was like "seeing the love of your life on the subway but never getting to meet them."
Ricker won a bronze medal in the same event at Winter X Games XI
. She was the overall world cup champion during the 07/08 season. She also previously competed in the halfpipe world championships, with her highest finish being 7th in 2003. She is a two time X Games gold medalist in snowboard cross winning the gold in both the 1999 Winter X Games
and the Winter X-Games 10
.
in Vancouver as the overall leader in the 2009–10 FIS Snowboard World Cup
. She skipped the Winter X Games
in January to focus on the Olympics. The women's snowboard cross
event began on February 16, and the event started out nervously enough for the Canadian contingent in women's snowboard cross. Both she and Dominique Maltais
fell on the same berm on their first qualifying run. With fog and weather conditions threatening to cancel the second and final qualifying run, both Canadians would have been out of the finals if officials had canceled the run. However the decision was made to carry on with the qualifying, conditions improved, and Ricker would successfully qualify in third place. When asked about her fall after the race Ricker said that it "was heartbreaking after that first run. I had to go back up to the start, refocus and think about my lines. I had to visualize all the stuff we’ve been training all week, all year, the last few years.”
Ricker won her quarter-final with ease, but because of only finishing third in qualifying, was placed in a semi-final with gold medal contender Lindsey Jacobellis
. In the run, however, Jacobellis was disqualified for missing a gate and Ricker carried on, qualifying for the A-final. In the medal final Ricker again took a large lead out of the starting gate and won the gold medal with relative ease, becoming the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic gold medal on home soil. Ricker won the gold just minutes from her childhood home in North Vancouver and described the Olympic victory "like a crazy dream". For Ricker, the gold was redemption for her fall and concussion during the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. She said that "Turin was such a motivator for me. It just made me work that much harder and just go for it today.”
. She was second in the snowboard cross standings for the World Cup heading into the 2011 FIS Snowboarding World Championships
. In the finals of the snowboard cross at the World Championships Ricker was closely following longtime nemesis Jacobellis. While trying to pass, she got too close to Jacobellis, caught an edge, and crashed, injuring her hand and finishing fourth.
and credits her brother for getting her into the sport of snowboarding. As a student, Ricker attended high school at Sentinel Secondary School
in West Vancouver. Ricker lists Clara Hughes
, Canadian flag bearer at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 games, as her hero. Ricker is bilingual, speaking both French and English fluently.
External links=
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
. She won the Gold Medal in the snowboard cross
Snowboarding at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's snowboard cross
The women's snowboard cross competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Cypress Mountain on February 16, 2010.-Qualification:-Quarterfinals:The top 16 qualifiers advanced to the quarterfinals round...
event at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, becoming the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal on home soil at the Olympics.
Career
As a young girl Ricker had two dreams: to compete competitively in snowboarding, and to compete in snowboarding at the Winter Olympics, despite the fact that Snowboarding was not an Olympic sport at the time. She first competed in the FIS Snowboard World CupFIS Snowboard World Cup
The FIS Snowboard World Cup is an annual snowboarding competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation since 1998.-Overall:-Giant Slalom:-Slalom:-Halfpipe:-Snowboard Cross:-Parallel Slalom / Parallel Giant Slalom:-Overall:...
during the 1996-97 season, twice standing on the podium in her rookie season. She competed at her first Olympics in 1998 in Nagano
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
where only parallel giant slalom and halfpipe were Olympic snowboard events. Ricker competed in the halfpipe event placing fifth. After Nagano, Ricker began competing in multiple snowboard disciplines, competing in both the halfpipe and in the newer sport of boarder cross. She won her first World Cup gold in the discipline of snowboard cross later that year in 1998. She was forced to skip the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
because of injury. At the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
she placed 4th in the Women's Snowboard Cross
Snowboarding at the 2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympic Games Snowboarding competition consisted of men's and women's Halfpipe, Parallel Giant Slalom and Snowboard Cross events.-Medal table:-Men's events:-Women's events:...
event. She crashed hard in the race, and was hospitalized with a minor concussion. Ricker later said that she did not remember her crash, and that finishing fourth in 2006 was like "seeing the love of your life on the subway but never getting to meet them."
Ricker won a bronze medal in the same event at Winter X Games XI
Winter X Games XI
Winter X Games XI were held from January 25, 2007 to January 28, 2007 in Aspen, Colorado. They were the 6th consecutive Winter X Games to be held in Aspen. Television coverage of Winter X Games XI was broadcast on ESPN and ABC, primarily hosted by Sal Masekela and Todd Harris...
. She was the overall world cup champion during the 07/08 season. She also previously competed in the halfpipe world championships, with her highest finish being 7th in 2003. She is a two time X Games gold medalist in snowboard cross winning the gold in both the 1999 Winter X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
and the Winter X-Games 10
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
.
2010 Winter Olympics
Ricker did exceptionally well in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She headed into the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver as the overall leader in the 2009–10 FIS Snowboard World Cup
2009–10 FIS Snowboard World Cup
The 2009–10 FIS Snowboard World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for snowboarding. The season started on 9 October 2009 and lasted until 17 March 2010. The World Cup was organised by the FIS who also run world cups and championships in cross-country skiing, ski jumping, nordic...
. She skipped the Winter X Games
Winter X Games XIV
Winter X Games XIV were held from January 28 to January 31, 2010, in Aspen, Colorado. They were the 9th consecutive Winter X Games to be held in Aspen...
in January to focus on the Olympics. The women's snowboard cross
Snowboarding at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's snowboard cross
The women's snowboard cross competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Cypress Mountain on February 16, 2010.-Qualification:-Quarterfinals:The top 16 qualifiers advanced to the quarterfinals round...
event began on February 16, and the event started out nervously enough for the Canadian contingent in women's snowboard cross. Both she and Dominique Maltais
Dominique Maltais
Dominique Maltais is a Canadian snowboarder with her specialty in snowboard cross. Born in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, Quebec. She is a firefighter in her professional career.-Snowboarding career:...
fell on the same berm on their first qualifying run. With fog and weather conditions threatening to cancel the second and final qualifying run, both Canadians would have been out of the finals if officials had canceled the run. However the decision was made to carry on with the qualifying, conditions improved, and Ricker would successfully qualify in third place. When asked about her fall after the race Ricker said that it "was heartbreaking after that first run. I had to go back up to the start, refocus and think about my lines. I had to visualize all the stuff we’ve been training all week, all year, the last few years.”
Ricker won her quarter-final with ease, but because of only finishing third in qualifying, was placed in a semi-final with gold medal contender Lindsey Jacobellis
Lindsey Jacobellis
Lindsey Jacobellis is an American snowboarder from Stratton, Vermont.At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Jacobellis won the silver medal in Women's Snowboard Cross's Olympics debut...
. In the run, however, Jacobellis was disqualified for missing a gate and Ricker carried on, qualifying for the A-final. In the medal final Ricker again took a large lead out of the starting gate and won the gold medal with relative ease, becoming the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic gold medal on home soil. Ricker won the gold just minutes from her childhood home in North Vancouver and described the Olympic victory "like a crazy dream". For Ricker, the gold was redemption for her fall and concussion during the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. She said that "Turin was such a motivator for me. It just made me work that much harder and just go for it today.”
Present
Ricker followed her successful Olympics with a great start to the 2010–11 FIS Snowboard World Cup2010–11 FIS Snowboard World Cup
The 2010–11 FIS Snowboard World Cup was a multi race tournament over a season for snowboarding. The season started on 10 October 2010 and ended on 27 March 2011. The World Cup was organised by the FIS which also run world cups and championships in cross-country skiing, ski jumping, nordic combined,...
. She was second in the snowboard cross standings for the World Cup heading into the 2011 FIS Snowboarding World Championships
FIS Snowboarding World Championships 2011
The FIS Snowboarding World Championships 2011 was held between January 14 and 22 in La Molina and Barcelona Spain.All the competitions were held in La Molina, except the big air competition, which was held in Barcelona.-Media and marketing:...
. In the finals of the snowboard cross at the World Championships Ricker was closely following longtime nemesis Jacobellis. While trying to pass, she got too close to Jacobellis, caught an edge, and crashed, injuring her hand and finishing fourth.
Personal
Ricker grew up in West Vancouver, the daughter of Karl Ricker, now a retired geologist, and Nancy Ricker, now a retired biology professor from Capilano University. When Ricker was a child her father had wanted her to take up skiing, but she chose snowboarding instead. She first learned to snowboard in her teens when she chased her brother Jörli Ricker down Whistler MountainWhistler Mountain
Whistler Mountain is a mountain in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort and the town of Whistler, British Columbia.The original name of the mountain...
and credits her brother for getting her into the sport of snowboarding. As a student, Ricker attended high school at Sentinel Secondary School
Sentinel Secondary School
Sentinel Secondary School is a secondary school located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of three public secondary schools in the West Vancouver district . The school has a grass field, two baseball diamonds, three street hockey courts, and three tennis courts...
in West Vancouver. Ricker lists Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes
Clara Hughes, OC, OM is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater, and has won multiple Olympic medals in both sports. Hughes won two bronze in the Summer Olympics in 1996 and four medals over the course of three Winter Olympics...
, Canadian flag bearer at the opening ceremonies for the 2010 games, as her hero. Ricker is bilingual, speaking both French and English fluently.
External links=