(Beaupré) Félix-Albert, 3 years old, was rolling around in the snow under the more or less watchful eye of his big sister Olivia, 5 years old.
The little boy was floating in the yellow bib his mother had slipped over her winter coat. Olivia, wearing a red bib, was warm under her Canada toque on this sunny day.
Before hitting the road, Dominique Maltais rummaged through her souvenir box in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François. She found a bib she wore as the leader of the World Cup standings.
“The bibs, I put them in the middle of the rink to separate the teams before a hockey game…”
Sunglasses on her nose, ski goggles on her head, the double Olympic snowboardcross medalist reconnected with her band on the first day of qualifying for the Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup on Friday.
“It’s near my home, I find it wonderful,” said Maltais, who finished second on the circuit’s last visit to Quebec, at Stoneham, in 2013.
I see everyone again and there are still many that I know and race with, especially the girls.
Dominique Maltese
She had just reconnected with the Italian Omar Visintin, 33, bronze medalist at the Beijing Olympics and second in the World Cup standings.
“This morning, I was very emotional when I saw [l’Autrichien] Nick Baumgartner. It’s a big part of my life. Without questioning myself, there isn’t a winter where I don’t say to myself: “Ah, I could have done this or that…” At some point, life also changes. »
Aged 42, Dominique Maltais retired in March 2015, a week after her 15e and last victory in the World Cup. In addition to her bronze medal in Turin in 2006 and silver in Sochi in 2014, she reached the podium twice at the World Championships, in 2011 and 2013.
Back to basics
Ambassador of a somewhat daredevil sport that she introduced to Quebecers, the proud representative of the Massif de Charlevoix returned to her first love a few years ago: fire prevention.
The former firefighter in Montreal now works full-time in the City of Baie-Saint-Paul, 20 minutes from her home.
I am back to basics. I am a fire prevention technician for Baie-Saint-Paul, but we take care of the entire MRC de Charlevoix. I am a firefighter at the same time. Well, fireman… that’s a big word, we don’t do a lot of interventions.
Dominique Maltese
“I also take courses in fire to try to improve myself and open up other horizons when the children are older. »
When she can – she is a “single parent” during the week since her boyfriend works outdoors – she hits the slopes on her board “in spare time”…
During the season, she follows all the races live, with a particular eye on her “favorite”, Eliot Grondin, to whom she has played a mentoring role since her retirement.
“I am very proud of him. He had a lot of bad luck. But he wrinkled really strong and I think that at the end of the week, it will be his turn to shine and end the season in style. »
During the weekend, Dominique Maltais will be on the microphone to comment on the competitions in the company of host Marc Durand.
“Mom, Felix has lost his boot…” Olivia had just signaled the end of the little interview…
Arianne Gallant wanted to go all the way
Heartbreaking scene during qualifying on Friday: Arianne Gallant fell in a trench between two jumps at the start of the course. The young 17-year-old snowboarder tried everything to extricate herself from her unfortunate position, but she was unable to do so, the curb being practically higher than her. She succeeded after unfastening a binding, eventually going all the way to the bottom. Crying in the finish area, she was consoled by her parents. On her first start in the World Cup, the teenager from the South Shore in the Quebec region wanted at all costs to live the experience to the end, even if she did not obtain an official time. She succeeded in the second round of qualifying, without obtaining her selection for the elimination rounds this Saturday, reserved for the first 16. The recent Canada Games silver medalist will still have the opportunity to compete in Sunday’s event, where all entries will be entered into the draw.