SNOWBOARDING:

Maltais 2nd to Jacobellis in Stoneham SBX

Feb. 17, 2011 — Canada  Snowboard

STONEHAM Quebec — Dominique Maltais stepped on the podium for the fourth time in four races this season on the LG Snowboard FIS World Cup Tour, doing so in front of her family and friends on a warm day in Stoneham, Québec.

During the snowboardcross race presented by Lasik Vision MD on Thursday, Maltais easily made it through to the medal round by winning the quarterfinals and semifinals.

In the medal race, Maltais conceded the victory to American rider and longtime rival Lindsey Jacobellis in an exciting dual.

“The course was a lot tougher today than in training, with lot more hills,” Maltais said. “I made a huge error at the top of the course, but it’s OK since I stayed in second place. I was able to catch a lot of ground on Jacobellis in the second half of the race. It was a really nice race for all the girls.”

Maltais ended her day in second place, as her winning streak was halted at three races. “We can’t win them all. … Three in a row, that was pretty exceptional. It had been a long time since a girl was able to do that on the World Cup tour,” she said.

The second place by Maltais adds 800 points to her World Cup season total, giving her a considerable lead for the World Cup title. Maltais leads the World Cup standings with 3,800 points this season, followed by injured teammate Maëlle Ricker (2,200), Alexandra Jekova (1,960) and Lindsey Jacobellis (1,760).

Jacobellis won the race, while Deborah Antonioz of France placed third. Jacobellis won her fourth consecutive race, which includes the 2011 World Championships, the X Games and the U.S. Grand Prix.

Quebec rider Justine Côté, who was riding in her first World Cup, finished in 12th position, an excellent result for the 21-year-old athlete and student in industrial relations at the Université Laval.

“I had no expectation today, and even with the stress, everything went really well. I had not ridden the course before my first run, so I am really happy,” said Côté. “It’s impressive [to ride her first race beside Jacobellis]. That is what I was telling myself up there. I was already hooked on the sport, and now I am even more excited!”

Côté will make her way to the Canada Winter Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and then to the Canada Snowboard Speed Nationals at Lake Louise, Alberta, in April.

In men’s racing, Kevin Hill of Vernon, B.C., once again proved himself, finishing in fourth place. Hill made it through the medal round for the first time in his young career, and he as really pleased with the result.

“I was getting worn out through the laps. I didn’t feel I had the energy in the last run, and hit a big rut, popped my heel edge pretty hard and fell on my butt. That was pretty much it from there on, ” said Hill, silver medallist at the X Games and U.S. Grand Prix champion. “I definitely think I could have won that race. It didn’t come together, but I am more than happy to have made it through to the finals for the first time in my career.”

The fourth place for Hill puts him in 10th spot in the FIS World Cup rankings, the top Canadian.

Rob Fagan of Cranbrook, B.C., posted his best World Cup result since the Olympic Games in Vancouver with a ninth position. Fagan advanced to the quarterfinals but was unable to make it through the semifinals.

François Boivin, who posted the second-fastest qualifying time, was not able to make it through the first heats. Boivin finished 17th.

Tom Velisek, the top-ranked Canadian entering the race, was also eliminated in his first heat. Velisek finished 26th and is now ranked 11th in the world rankings.

The 2011 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup at Stoneham continues Friday with the halfpipe qualifiers and finals, Saturday with the big-air contest in downtown Québec City and ends Sunday with the parallel giant slalom races.

Stoneham women's World Cup snowboardcross results

Stoneham men's World Cup snowboardcross results