Olympics Overnight: Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine wins surprise bronze in snowboard cross, athletes support Mikaela Shiffrin after second DQ

By: Richie Assaly - Toronto Star, Toronto Star Posted: 6:26 AM CST Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 Last Modified: 7:51 AM CST Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022

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Rise and shine, Olympics fans. Here’s what you missed overnight and need to know about the 2022 Beijing Olympics this morning.

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Rise and shine, Olympics fans. Here’s what you missed overnight and need to know about the 2022 Beijing Olympics this morning.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/02/2022 (1331 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rise and shine, Olympics fans. Here’s what you missed overnight and need to know about the 2022 Beijing Olympics this morning.

For all the Star-related Winter Games content, visit our Olympics page here.

Day 5 already!

Overnight, Canada made it back to the podium on Wednesday in Beijing, after Meryeta O’Dine won a surprise bronze in the women’s snowboard cross. Early this morning, Steven Dubois won a short track silver in the men’s 1,500-metre.

Unfortunately, Canadian medal hopefuls Kim Boutin and Charles Hamelin both failed to advance to the finals in their respective short track speed skating events.

Canada has now racked up eight medals (1G, 2S, 5B), but that total may change — the IOC says it is looking into an “emerging issue” involving one of the figure skating team event medallists — this could lead to a potential medal for the Canadian team, which finished in fourth. According to a new report by USA Today, the issue may involve a positive drug test by a Russian skater.

Over on the slopes, decorated skiier Mikaela Shiffrin shocked fans when she failed to finish her second race in three days. Athletes from around the world, including Lindsay Vonn and Simone Biles, chimed in to show their support for the American alpine legend.

Meanwhile, Americans Shaun White and Chloe Kim took care of business in the halfpipe.

Scroll through for highlights, lowlights and more.

O’Dine’s incredible journey

Almost all Olympic athletes have endured setbacks and overcome hardships in their journey to one of the sporting world’s biggest stages.

But few have faced as many harrowing hurdles as 24-year-old Meryeta O’Dine, who took home a bronze in snowboard cross on Wednesday.

As summarized by The Canadian Press:

“O’Dine’s Olympic debut was supposed to be at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, but she suffered a concussion two days before her event, the fifth concussion of her career. She suffered another catastrophic injury in March 2019, sustaining a season-ending compression fracture in her T3 vertebrae at a World Cup event in Spain.

In March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic reached Canada, O’Dine lost her brother Brandon to cancer. That personal tragedy deeply affected O’Dine’s mental health as she struggled with anxiety and depression.

Between grieving the death of her brother and the logistical complications of international competition during the pandemic, O’Dine didn’t race for a year, returning to the World Cup circuit in January 2021.”

O’Dine never gave up though, and her perserverence culiminated in this incredible moment:

“There’s been a lot that’s happened over the past four years that have made me a stronger person through breaking down different barriers and coming out to the other side,” she told the Star’s Dave Feschuk.

Read Dave Feschuk’s column from Beijing here: Canada’s Meryeta O’Dine overcomes long list of setbacks to capture bronze in snowboard cross

Redemption for Lindsey Jacobellis

Finishing in first place ahead of O’Dine was American snowboarding legend Lindsey Jacobellis, who has quite a story herself.

In the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Jacobellis was boarding towards gold with a massive lead, before bailing while attempting a showboat move. She’d finish in second.

16 years later, now competing in her fifth Olympics, Jacobellis finally received her gold medal:

However, Jacobellis told the Canadian Press that she doesn’t see her victory as a redemption.

“I never thought of it that way, that was not in my mind. I wanted to just come here and compete,” she said. “It would have been a nice, sweet thing, but I think if I had tried to spend (time on) the thought of redemption, then it’s taking away focus on the task at hand, and that’s not why I race.”

Silver for Steven Dubois

The 24-year-old short track speedskater from Terrebonne eked his way to a silver medal in the 1.500-metre in a crowded field of 10. That result pushed Canada’s medal total to eight.

A dissapointing showing for Charles Hamelin

Decorated speedskater and opening ceremony co-flag-bearer Charles Hamelin was penalized in the 1,500-metre semi-final on Wednesday, dashing his hopes for another Olympic medal in an individual event.

Heartbreak for Kim Boutin

The Canadian short-track speedskater, who won bronze in the women’s 500-metre race in Beijing on Monday, will not make the podium in the 1,000-metre race after losing an edge and slipping just moments before crossing the finish line wnhile comfortably leading her qualifying heat. It’s a devastating elimination for Boutin, who led for most of the race.

What the heck is going on in the figure skating team event?

On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee announced that the award ceremony for the team figure skating competition was delayed due to “an ongoing legal issue involving meddallists.”

IOC spokesman Mark Adams did not provide details, but promised that they were coming soon.

This morning, USA Today reported that a positive drug test by Russian figure skater has forced a delay in the Olympic team medals ceremony.

If any athlete or team is disqualified, Team Canada, who placed fourth, will be upgraded and awarded a medal. The Russian team finished in first, followed by the U.S. and Japan.

We’ll be watching closely.

Athletes share their support for Mikaela Shiffrin after her rough start in Bejing

American aliping skier and two-time Olympic gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin skied out of bounds and bailed just five seconds into the first qualifying run of Wednesday’s women’s slalom.

Two days earlier, Shiffrin slipped and was unable to finish in the women’s giant slalom.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” the two-time Olympic gold medalist said through tears, “and I don’t know how to handle it.”

Athletes around the world, including gymnast Biles and fellow skiier Vonn, shared their support on social media.

Shiffin still has three events to win a gold, which would make her the most decorated American alpine skier of all-time.

Shaun White’s still got it! (Chloe Kim, too, but no one doubted that)

Known for his signature double corks and double McTwist moves, snowboarding legend Shaun White is back in Beijing for his fifth Olympics.

Now 35-years-old the three-time gold medallist will be the oldest snowboarder to ever compete in the halfpipe competition.

White may not dominate the sport like he used to, but he proved on Wednesday that he’s still got something in the tank.

Meanwhile, American snowboarder Chloe Kim, who won gold in Pyeongchang, took care of business on Wednesday, finishing in the top spot in women’s qualifying.

A victory lap for Norway’s Birk Ruud

The skiier secured a gold in the debut of the big air event before his final run. To celebrate, he threw down a massive trick while holding the Norwegian flag.

Other Canadian results:

Brooke D’Hondt and Elizabeth Hosking reached the women’s snowboard halfpipe final after making it through qualifiers. They’ll compete for gold on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

What’s in store today: