Meryeta O'Dine is new to the North American Cup snowboard cross scene but looked more like a polished veteran Wednesday on the slopes of Mont-Tremblant, Que.
The 16-year-old Prince George born-and-raised O'Dine, in only her second Nor-Am race taking on a predominantly older international field of 16 racers, delivered a podium performance, finishing third overall.
O'Dine finished the course in one minute 1.89 seconds, less than a second behind gold-medalist Zoe Bergermann of Acton, Ont., 19, who won in 1:00.94. Meghan Tierney of Edwards, Colo., 17, won silver in 10:01.01.
"We were really shocked, it's her second Nor-Am race and her first [podium] placing and it's a pretty heavy field," said Virginia O'Dine, Meryeta's mom in Prince George. "There are a few who should have been up there [in the standings] who crashed, but that's the nature of racing."
O'Dine was fifth in Wednesday's time trials. Wednesday's weather in Mont-Tremblant was brutally cold, with a wind chill factor of -26 C, and hard icy conditions on the mountain. O'Dine will race there again today.
O'Dine plans to return to her home hill at Tabor Mountain in time for Friday's training runs for the B.C. Snowboard Federation Like Me Snowboard Series event. The race is scheduled for Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.
