Snowboard cross bronze for World Cup newcomer O’Dine
In just her seventh ever World Cup start, Meryeta O’Dine won snowboard cross bronze on Saturday in Feldberg, Germany, two weeks before her 20th birthday.
Winner Michaela Moioli from Italy, right, second placed Belle Brockhoff from Australia, center, (2nd place, c) and third placed Meryeta O’Dine from Canada, left, speed down the track during the Ladies’ Snowboard Cross World Cup at Feldberg mountain in the Black Forest region, Germany,, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. ( Patrick Seeger/dpa via AP)
O’Dine had been seeded 12th after Friday’s qualification round. She was one of four Canadians in the quarterfinals, but the only one to advance to the semifinals after she defeated teammates Zoe Bergermann and Carle Brenneman in her heat. A second place finish in her semi put her into the Big Final for a shot at the podium. She crossed the line behind Italy’s Michela Moioli and Australia’s Belle Brockhoff, but ahead of Bulgaria’s Alexandra Jekova.
A fourth place finisher at the 2016 Junior World Championships, O’Dine’s previous best World Cup result had been a sixth place finish last February at the PyeongChang 2018 test event at the Bokwang Snow Park. She had been the top Canadian in that race which was held with heats of six riders rather than the heats of four riders this weekend.
