Lindsey Jacobellis made her first World Cup podium in nearly two years and met Olympic selection criteria, boosting her chances of making her third U.S. Olympic Team on Saturday.
Jacobellis, 28, won a World Cup snowboardcross event in Lake Louise, Alberta, with a broken right thumb.
“I’m having a hard time getting good pulls out of the gate because I broke my thumb last race,” Jacobellis said, according to The Associated Press. “I really was dependent on working the features to try and get back out ahead.”
It’s the latest injury for the 2006 Olympic silver medalist who missed all of the 2012-13 season after tearing an ACL at the January 2012 Winter X Games.
Jacobellis met Olympic selection criteria, but she isn’t yet fully assured of making the U.S. Olympic Team with more World Cup events in January.
Jacobellis won a final loaded with stars. Canada’s Dominique Maltais, the 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, took second. Norway’s Helene Olafsen, fourth at the 2010 Olympics, was third.
Reigning Olympic champion Maelle Ricker of Canada crashed and was fourth as she continues to come back from a concussion.
Ricker, Maltais and Olafsen went one-two-three at the World Championships in January.
In the men’s race, two-time U.S. Olympian Nate Holland took seventh two weeks after breaking his collarbone. Two-time Olympic champion Seth Wescott has yet to race this season as he recovers from ACL surgery.
