Advertisement

B.C. snowboarders headed to Sochi for 2014 Winter Olympics

Maelle Ricker clears a jump on her way to gold in West Vancouver, B.C., on February 16, 2010. Snowboardcross was the most hazardous sport at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, with nearly 75 per cent of female athletes sustaining injuries during the rough-and-tumble races, according to a medical study. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick.
Maelle Ricker clears a jump on her way to gold in West Vancouver, B.C., on February 16, 2010. Snowboardcross was the most hazardous sport at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, with nearly 75 per cent of female athletes sustaining injuries during the rough-and-tumble races, according to a medical study. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick.

Two B.C. snowboarders, including three-time Olympian Maelle Ricker of West Vancouver, are headed to Sochi, Russia to compete for Canada in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Five snowboarders from across the country were named to the team Friday and will represent Canada in slopestyle and snowboard cross.

The rest of the snowboard team will be named on Jan. 21 in Quebec City ahead of the games, which run from Feb. 7 to 23.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Ricker, who won gold in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, will lead the team of first-time Olympians, including Spencer O’Brien of Courtenay, Mark McMorris of Regina, Sebastien Toutant of L’Assomption, Que. and Chris Robanske of Calgary.

“These five athletes show that Canada is one of the leading nations in competitive snowboarding,” said Steven Hills, executive director of Canada Snowboard.

Story continues below advertisement

“They are currently recognized as the best in the world in both slopestyle and snowboard cross. I am confident that their hard work and passion for snowboarding will place them on the podium and assist the Canadian Olympic Team in gaining top spot in Sochi.”

At the Vancouver Olympics, the Canadian snowboarding team Ricker and Jasey-Jay Anderson won gold medals and Mike Robertson won a silver medal.

Sponsored content

AdChoices