Canadians Maltais and Ricker win women’s World Cup snowboard cross team final

TELLURIDE, Colo. – Canadians Dominique Maltais and Maelle Ricker won the women’s World Cup snowboard cross team final Saturday.

Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., and Ricker, the 2010 Olympic champion who hails from Squamish, B.C., were the dominant team through the semifinal and final races.

“Finally we won it,” said Maltais, who won both individual snowboard cross events this season.

Maltais added that the Canadians have raced well in the team event in the past but “were never able to win this one. Finally we did.”

Snow began falling in the middle of the women’s final that disrupted the snowboarders’ speed, but the Canadian duo maintained their pace “and had a good advantage at the end,” said Maltais.

The Swiss team of Simona Meiler and Emilie Aubry finished second with Italy third.

Canada’s other team of Jade Critchlow of Kelowna and Carle Brenneman of Comox, B.C., finished seventh.

The Canadian men’s teams didn’t fare quite as well. Chris Robanske of Calgary and Kevin Hill of Vernon, B.C., finished fourth with Rob Fagan of Cranbrook, B.C., and Jake Holden of Caledon, Ont., settling for sixth.

Nate Holland and Seth Wescott took gold.