ROSA KHUTOR, Russia, February 16 (R-Sport) – Czech rider Eva Samkova bested a hazardous track as well as her rivals to claim the Olympic gold medal in women’s snowboard cross Sunday.
Dominique Maltais of Canada took the silver, with bronze for France’s Chloe Trespeuch in a final that largely avoided the collisions and falls that afflicted several earlier races.
Samkova’s win brings the Czech Republic its first gold of the Sochi Olympics and caps a rapid rise for the 20-year-old rider, who won the world junior championships last year.
Samkova has a habit of drawing a moustache on her top lip in competition, and the final was no exception. After crossing the line, she celebrated wildly with the other medalists and lower-placed riders.
Several top riders failed to cope with the challenging course at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park, most notably gold medal favorite Lindsey Jacobellis of the U.S., who fell while leading her semifinal in a near-repeat of the crash that ended her medal hopes in 2010.
Defending champion Maelle Ricker of Canada also failed to make the final, slipping in her quarterfinal race.
Two riders were hospitalized after crashing during the morning’s seeding runs, with apparent concussion for Jacqueline Hernandez of the U.S. and a knee injury for Helene Olafsen of Norway.
Snowboardcross pits six riders at a time over a track comprising jumps and banked turns, with the winner the first rider to cross the finish line.
The course is extremely fast and has seen its share of injuries in recent days, most notably a broken back for Russian skicross racer Maria Komissarova, who crashed in training Saturday.
