SNOWBOARDING:

Canadian riders Maltais, Fagan find the speed at Telluride

Dec. 15, 2010 — Canada Snowboard 

TELLURIDE, Colorado — Canadian snowboarder Dominique Maltais of Petite-Rivière-St-François, Québec, led the way in the snowboardcross qualifiers Wednesday, posting the fastest time of the women’s qualifying rounds at the 2011 LG Snowboard World Cup at Telluride, Colorado.

Rob Fagan of Cranbrook, British Columbia, posted the second-fastest time of the men’s qualifiers, followed closely by Jake Holden of Caledon, Ontario, with the fourth-fastest time.

Maltais is having an exceptional start to the 2011 World Cup season, having won the first two races. She has been unbeatable in qualifiers, posting the fastest time in all three qualifying rounds.

2010 Olympic champion Maëlle Ricker of Squamish, B.C., finished with the fourth-fastest time, easily qualifying for the finals.

Final rounds of the snowboardcross race will be held Friday. The alpine snowboarding race, a parallel giant slalom, will be held Thursday.  S-Magazine