Maëlle Ricker’s hopes of repeating as the Olympic snowboard cross champion took a hit Tuesday when she was injured during a training session in Aspen, Colo.
The West Vancouver native was scheduled to undergo surgery today in Vail, Colo., after injuring her wrist, according to a statement from Canada Snowboard. The team is still hoping that Ricker will be able to compete in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, which begin Feb. 7 in Sochi, Russia.
"While the timing of this injury is very unfortunate, we know that Maëlle is an incredibly resilient athlete that has battled back from several injuries over her career to accomplish great things for Canada," said Canada Snowboard executive director Steven Hills in the release. "We hope that Maëlle's surgery is successful and believe that she will have every opportunity to join Team Canada in Sochi."
Ricker famously won on Cypress Mountain in 2010, becoming the first Canadian woman ever to earn an Olympic gold medal on home soil. The 2014 Olympic snowboard cross event is scheduled to take place Feb. 16. Canada Snowboard indicated that they would provide an update on Ricker’s condition today following the surgery.
