Ledecka’s Olympic Snowboarding Three-Peat Bid Ends Abruptly
Ester Ledecka’s attempt to achieve a historic three-peat in Olympic snowboarding came to an abrupt halt recently during the parallel giant slalom event. The Czech athlete lost her quarterfinal race by a razor-thin margin of 0.06 seconds to Austria’s Sabine Payer. As a result, Ledecka’s gold medal aspirations were dashed.
Unexpected Turn of Events
In a surprising turn, it was Zuzana Maderova, another Czech snowboarder, who claimed the gold medal. Maderova, only 22 years old and without any World Cup wins, triumphed in a stunning finish, defeating Payer by 0.83 seconds. Her victory marked a significant milestone as it was her first win in a major competition.
Benjamin Karl’s Triumph
The only repeat champion of the day was Austria’s Benjamin Karl. He secured his second consecutive title in the men’s event and celebrated by removing his shirt and flexing in the snow.
Ledecka’s Dominance Before the Games
Before the Milan Cortina Games, Ledecka was regarded as the favorite for the gold medal. She had maintained an impressive record, not losing a PGS World Cup race in nearly two years. Ledecka had also been a consistent presence on the podium in five previous events, dominating her qualifying heats by finishing a full 0.69 seconds faster than the next competitor.
- Top Seeding: Ledecka earned the top seed in the 16-woman bracket.
- Fastest Competitors: Maderova finished just behind Ledecka in qualifying heats, with no other competitor within 1.39 seconds.
Canadian Performance
In the men’s event, Canadian snowboarder Arnaud Gaudet reached the quarterfinals but fell short after losing to Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov by three-hundredths of a second. Gaudet expressed his disappointment but remained optimistic about his performance. Toronto’s Ben Heldman did not advance past the qualification rounds.
Future Races for Ledecka
Though Ledecka faced a setback in snowboarding, she is still scheduled to compete in the alpine skiing super-G event on Thursday. This season, she concentrated primarily on skiing, participating in nine alpine races, where she achieved one podium finish. In contrast, she competed in only one snowboard event leading up to the Olympics, which she won.
Challengers for Three-Peat Titles
Ledecka’s loss presents an opportunity for Austria’s Anna Gasser to pursue her own three-peat, making her bid for a historic title in snowboarding. Additionally, Chloe Kim aims to replicate this feat in the halfpipe contest, which begins on Wednesday.
