Ricker lifts gloom on host Canada

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Snowboarder Maelle Ricker gave Canadians a welcome distraction with a gold medal on Tuesday at one of the Olympic venues that has caused concern at the trouble-plagued Vancouver Games.

“I’m so overwhelmed I can’t believe it, the way my day started,” Ricker said after her win in the snowboardcross, the host nation’s second gold of these games – the first two for Canada in three Olympics on home soil.

The start of qualifying was delayed because of rain and fog.

And thousands of people who bought tickets for her event didn’t get to see Ricker, with organizers having to close a standing area at Cypress Mountain because it became too dangerous due to a lack of snow required to pack down a temporary platform. Organizers said they’ll have to refund a total of 28,000 tickets at the freestyle skiing venue, at a cost of $1.44 million.

Too much snow at Whistler overnight continued to play havoc with the Alpine schedule, with the men’s super-combined postponed and the women’s downhill training canceled. Only one race – the men’s downhill – has been completed, but organizers say there’s no cause for panic.

At the luge track, where the training death of a Georgian slider overshadowed last Friday’s Olympics opening ceremony, Tatjana Huefner’s victory gave Germany its ninth women’s gold medal in 13 Olympic competitions.

Huefner’s win also gave Germany a sweep of singles luge gold after Felix Loch won the men’s event.

Germany now has three gold medals. (AP)