Snowboard cross star Maëlle Ricker says she still has a strong desire to compete on the world stage but is currently taking time off the sport to recover from injury.
The West Vancouver native and 2010 Olympic champion missed both the World Championships held earlier this month in Austria and last week’s X Games in Aspen, Colo.
"I was really looking forward to competing at World Championships and at the X Games this season. However, I've decided to follow the advice of Canada Snowboard’s medical staff and continue to train and recover from a pre-season injury," Ricker stated in Canada Snowboard release. "My plan is to return to competition and I want to be sure that I give myself the appropriate time for a full recovery."
Ricker suffered a compound fracture of her left arm just 19 days before the Sochi 2014 Olympics but still managed to compete in the Games. She finished fourth in qualifying but crashed in her quarterfinal and did not advance.
"Maëlle Ricker is a fierce competitor,” stated Canada Snowboard executive director Steven Hill. “No doubt making the decision to sit out the World Championships and X Games this year was a difficult one for her. She has a great support team around her and their advice to her was to recover and train rather than compete. When Maëlle is ready to return to competition, I am sure she will be just as fast as she has been in the past."
