Meryeta O’Dine of Prince George, British Columbia won Canada’s seventh medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing on Wednesday. O’Dine’s medal came in the women’s snowboard cross as she won the Olympic bronze medal.
O’Dine won her qualification heat, quarterfinal heat and semifinal heat, before placing third in the big final. Lindsey Jacobellis of the United States won the gold medal and Chloe Trespeuch of France won the silver medal. In the semifinal heat, O’Dine was actually in fourth place for a period of time, but battled her way to the front of the pack, and benefited from the fact that Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau of France fell.
It was a strong day for the Canadians as four Canadians qualified for the quarterfinals. Zoe Bregermann of Georgetown, Ontario and Audrey McManiman of Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare, Quebec were unable to reach the semifinals, but Tess Critchlow of Prince George got through her quarterfinal, before finishing third in her semifinal heat, and second in the small final for a sixth place overall.
O’Dine becomes the third Canadian woman to win an Olympic medal in women’s snowboard cross. Dominique Maltais of Petite-Riviere-Saint-Francois, Quebec won silver at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and bronze at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin. Meanwhile, Maelle Ricker of North Vancouver, British Columbia won gold in the women’s snowboard cross at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
At the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, Canada now has seven medals (one gold, one silver and five bronze). They are in eighth place in the overall medal standings.
