Ledecka’s Olympic Snowboarding 3-Peat Quest Shockingly Halted

Ester Ledecka’s bid to make history as the first snowboarder to secure gold medals at three consecutive Olympics was unexpectedly cut short on Sunday. Competing in the parallel giant slalom event, Ledecka fell short by just 0.06 seconds in the quarterfinals, losing to Austria’s Sabine Payer.

Ledecka’s Early Exit and Medal Results

While Ledecka was eliminated, the gold medal was claimed by another Czech athlete, Zuzana Maderova. This 22-year-old, who had not registered a World Cup victory before, triumphed by overcoming Payer with a remarkable margin of 0.83 seconds in the gold-medal final.

The day also featured a notable repeat accomplishment by Austria’s Benjamin Karl. He won his second consecutive title, celebrating his victory with a lively display that included stripping off his shirt and diving into the snow. Meanwhile, Ledecka watched from the sidelines after entering the Milan Cortina Games as a favorite for gold.

Performance Overview

Ledecka had been a dominant force in past competitions, not losing a parallel giant slalom World Cup race in nearly two years. She entered the event with outstanding qualifying times, finishing 0.69 seconds faster than her closest competitor, who was none other than Maderova. Yet, her journey ended prematurely in the quarterfinals.

Canadian Competitors’ Results

• Arnaud Gaudet: The top Canadian, Gaudet reached the men’s quarterfinals but was eliminated by a mere 0.03 seconds against Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov.
• Ben Heldman: The Toronto athlete finished 26th in the qualifications, failing to advance.
• Kaylie Buck and Aurelie Moisan: Both women were ousted in the 1/8 finals.

Looking Ahead

Ledecka’s defeat marks a shift in the competition landscape. With her exit, Austria’s Anna Gasser now has the opportunity to strive for her own three-peat. Gasser is scheduled to compete in big air qualifying, while Chloe Kim is also vying for a three-peat with her halfpipe contest upcoming.

As Ledecka continues to prepare for her next challenge in skiing’s super-G on Thursday, she reflects on her remarkable past. In 2018, she made history by winning both a snowboarding title and an alpine skiing event at the same Olympics—an achievement that remains unmatched.