Tuesday was a brutal one for the women of snowboardcross. Bad weather and a nasty looking course didn't make anything easy on them, but it did make for an exciting competition. These were the five things that stood out to me...

1.What went wrong with Lindsey Jacobellis: Tuesday's mistake was nothing like her blunder at the 2006 Olympics. That one was bone-headed. Back then she lost doing a completely unnecessary move within view of the finish line. This was nothing of the sort. It's hard to say she did anything wrong Tuesday. Lindsey is strongest on the flat features: the jumps, doubles and step offs are where she gains ground on her competitors. And she was handling all of them well early on. But the mistake she made was going a little too big on a jump that feeds directly into a heavy turn. She had an off-balance landing that required corrective action. She overcorrected and went sliding into the gate. Vancouver Games over.

2.It's ugly out there: While Lindsey's latest incident is another reminder of just how cutthroat life is in snowboardcross, a lot of the women competing there Tuesday will be wearing the black and blue evidence. The course at Cypress was brutalizing them, especially when the fog made visibility a problem. Just getting to the bottom of the run was an issue for half the competitors. Canada's Dominique Maltais, who won a bronze in Turin, didn't get past the qualifying round. Callan Chythlook-Sifsof had to walk off the course twice. That's brutal.

3.Second chances: Missed opportunities are what make the Olympics so harsh -- and so exciting. The reason the Lindsey Jacobellis' saga is so compelling is we all know those opportunities don't come often. It stings even more now. But on the flip side, Maelle Ricker was extremely lucky. Weather delays nearly cost her a shot at gold, because she wiped out on her first run in the qualifier. For a time, officials were considering canceling the second round of qualifying runs, which would have sent her packing. But Tuesday Maelle was lucky and good. Obviously, she made the most of her second shot.

4. Fair warning: Swiss riders Olivia Nobs and Mellie Francon really impressed me. I think the European riders are really starting to step up in snowboardcross, which is great to see. Deborah Anthonioz and Nelly Moenne Loccoz of France were also excellent.

5.Home field advantage: The last few times the Olympics have been in Canada there's really been no such thing. That's why the Canadians go absolutely nuts when somebody from their country actually wins. The Canadians have put a huge emphasis on owning the medal stand after getting blanked on golds for decades. Vancouver's hometown girl, Maelle Ricker, played the challenging conditions of the course well after her opening round stumble. She should have. The Canadians had use of a training course built by the same guy who designed the Olympic one.