Ledecka’s Quest for Third Olympic Gold Ends in Snowboard Quarter-Final Exit

LIVIGNO, Italy, Feb 8: Czech star Ester Ledecka’s bid to win a third Olympic gold medal came to an end on Sunday after she was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the women’s parallel giant slalom at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.

The two-time Olympic champion lost a tightly contested race to Austria’s Sabine Payer, finishing just 0.06 seconds behind at the Livigno Snow Park in northern Italy.

Ledecka, 30, made Olympic history at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games when she became the first female athlete to win gold medals in two different Winter Olympic disciplines, claiming titles in snowboarding’s parallel giant slalom and alpine skiing’s Super-G.

This year, she was forced to choose between snowboarding and alpine skiing events due to scheduling conflicts, ultimately opting to compete in snowboarding instead of the downhill races.

Despite the early exit, Ledecka remains one of the most versatile and celebrated athletes in Winter Olympic history, known for competing at the highest level in both snowboarding and alpine skiing.