ZHANGJIAKOU, China — Canada's Meryeta O'Dine was focused on popping out of a roller and gaining more ground in the mixed team snowboard cross big final at the Beijing Olympics when a body flew into her, knocking her to the ground.
Italy's Caterina Carpano had jumped a bit higher out of the roller behind O'Dine and collided with the Canadian, sending both tumbling toward the bottom of the next hill.
Suddenly, the bronze medal was going to come down to who could crawl up the hill faster and regain their momentum.
"Honestly, it felt ridiculous for a little bit, but you can't really feel ridiculous when you're trying to get to the finish line for a medal," said O'Dine, who is from Prince George, B.C.
The Canadian was the first to scramble up the jump and regain her footing, keeping a narrow lead to claim bronze with partner Eliot Grondin on Saturday in the Olympic debut of mixed team snowboard cross.
Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner won gold for the United States and the Italian pairing of Omar Visintin and Michela Moioli took silver with Carpano and Lorenzo Sommariva, also of Italy, finishing fourth.
“The team event is always so much fun. It’s a different energy at the top," said Jacobellis, who also won women's gold. "To be able to take this with someone I’ve been on the team with for over a decade — close to two decades now with Baum — it's incredible to accomplish this together."
The two-part relay had the men go first. Once they crossed the finish line, the women were released from the starting gate in a second heat at staggered times corresponding to the times their male partners finished.
That meant Grondin had to wait at the bottom of the course at Zhangjiakou Genting Snow Park while O'Dine completed the last leg of the race. After O'Dine and Carpano crashed all the cameras were focused on the race for gold between Jacobellis and Moioli, leaving Grondin in the dark about the fate of his partner.
"It's stressful, I won't lie. You don't know what's what's happening here," said Grondin, who is from Sainte-Marie, Que. "I mean, the first thing that went in my head I was just hoping she was OK that she didn't hurt herself or anything.
"Then you just wait and wait and they keep showing the first two on TV and you're like, 'what's happening?!' and then you see her name on the split times on the TV."
O'Dine finished 23.20 seconds behind Jacobellis — a lifetime in the fast-paced sport — but more than five seconds ahead of Carpano. She said winning the shuffle race up the hill was a testament to her off-season training.
"You've got both your feet still strapped in and you just basically do a bear crawl going up the front of the jump," said O'Dine, who added that her hips were sore after the race but that post-podium adrenalin was carrying her through.
"You work as hard as you can and it felt like for that moment was all the cardio that I did all summer."
Mixed team snowboard cross made its Olympic debut at the Beijing Games after being contested at the Winter X-Games since 2006.
Canada's snowboarders have been competing in the event on the World Cup circuit for several seasons, but they were glad to have a chance at more Olympic medals after Grondin won silver in the men's solo event on Thursday and O'Dine took bronze in the women's on Wednesday.
"Yeah, it's hanging on the end of my bed," said O'Dine of her individual medal. "It's actually really crazy to just be able to look up and be like 'Dang man, you won an Olympic medal!'
"And now I've got two. Whaaat!"
A second Canadian team of Liam Moffatt of Londonderry, N.S., and Tess Critchlow of Big White, B.C., were eliminated in the quarterfinal.
Both Canadian teams were excited to have mixed snowboard cross added to the Olympic program. Although the relay nature of the event meant they essentially race as individuals, Moffatt said he liked the idea of competing for Critchlow, who he said is one of his best friends.
Critchlow also felt like she was competing for her friend, but was disappointed she lost some ground in their quarterfinal heat.
"I never want to let someone down and Liam put me in a really good position today and I wasn't able to keep it, so that stings a bit," said Critchlow as Moffatt put his arm around her shoulders. "But I'm super proud of him and I did my best."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2022.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
