Ester Ledecka is known for her vibrant performances on snow, whether she’s skiing or snowboarding. In a remarkable display over the weekend, the talented Czech athlete secured her fourth medal at the world championships, marking her first achievement in skiing.
Ledecka, who previously clinched two gold and one silver in parallel giant slalom events during the snowboarding championships in 2015 and 2017, earned a bronze in downhill at the Alpine World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria. She finished just 0.21 seconds behind American competitor Breezy Johnson, who took home the gold. “Now the collection is complete with bronze,” Ledecka remarked proudly.
This recent achievement adds to her impressive track record in major competitions. Ledecka famously earned Olympic gold medals in both super-G skiing and parallel giant slalom snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, followed by another gold in snowboarding at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. However, her ambition may face a scheduling conflict at the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, as both the parallel giant slalom and Alpine downhill are set for February 8, 2026, at locations that are hours apart. She has been actively advocating through the Czech Olympic Committee for a change in the event schedules to accommodate her participation.
“It’s my biggest dream, and I truly believe I belong among the best in the world in both sports,” Ledecka stated. “I wish to showcase my abilities at the Olympic Games.” With her 30th birthday approaching next month, she remains committed to both sports as a versatile athlete.
Ledecka faced similar scheduling dilemmas in the past. After her historic achievements in 2018, she was forced to choose between the 2019 world championships for Alpine skiing in Sweden and snowboarding in Utah. Ultimately, she opted to compete in skiing. Having claimed four World Cup victories in skiing and 25 in snowboarding, she is unwilling to make that decision again. “Today you could see, I am here, I can put on a big show on snow,” she expressed.
In her medal run, Ledecka started strong and led Johnson by over half a second at the second split. However, she stumbled on landing from a significant jump, which affected her performance. Despite briefly holding a lead at a final checkpoint, she couldn’t maintain it through to the finish line. Her performance came after a few rough days when she felt unwell. “My voice is still a bit different,” she noted, mentioning that she had missed a World Cup race in Germany two weeks prior due to a back issue, but rebounded by finishing seventh in Thursday’s super-G.
Looking ahead, Ledecka is focusing on improving her snowboarding skills as she prepares for upcoming world championships set for this March in Switzerland. “Now I am skiing, tomorrow I am a snowboarder again,” she concluded, emphasizing her dedication to both sports.
