After winning X Games bronze in 2006, Marie Martinod-Routin (28) retired from competitive skiing to raise her daughter in her hometown of La Plagne, France. She returns to the U-ditch this year on account of two reasons: The lure of competing in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and a little inspiration from the late Sarah Burke. After taking 4th at the Olympic test event in Sochi in February, Martinod put an exclamation point on what is being hailed as a “huge comeback,” topping the podium at the X Games Tignes on Friday night. Behind her on the podium were fellow Frenchwoman Anais Caradeux in second, and Maddie Bowman—2013 X Games Aspen gold medalist—in third.
“It’s probably the first time I’ve had so many friends at the bottom and all my family, and everything I can say is that I heard you guys,” Martinod-Routin told ESPN. “I heard you screaming and shouting so loud, it just gave me so much power.”
Explaining her motivation to return to skiing, Marie told ESPN, “One night… Sarah Burke passed by and said, ‘Marie, you have to be back. There’s going to be Olympics. You never did that before. You have to come. And that’s it. It’s the beginning.”
Marie’s winning run—her first run of the night— consisted of a left 5 safety, right 5 opp mute, flair safety, straight air and a left 7, good enough for an 86.33, which held through the duration of the competition.
How did your Fantasy Freeride team perform this weekend at X Games Tignes? For all things Fantasy related, visit fantasyfreeride.com. To see how this shakes up the AFP world rankings, visit afpworldtour.com.
2013 X Games Tignes women’s superpipe final results
1. Marie Martinod-Routin — 86.33
2. Anais Caradeux — 85.33
3. Maddie Bowman — 85.0
4. Roz Groenewoud — 84.33
5. Ayana Onozuka — 84.0
6. Keltie Hansen — 78.66
7. Virginie Faivre — 73.0
8. Annalisa Drew — 66.0
Related:
– Watch the top three men’s superpipe runs, 2013 X Games Tignes