Ester Ledecká makes history with two World Championship medals in two different disciplines
Czech winter sports sensation Ester Ledecká has made sports history once again. On Thursday, she claimed her third World Championship gold in the parallel giant slalom at St. Moritz, becoming the first athlete in the world to win two FIS World Championship medals in the same season, in two different disciplines.
Ester Ledecká made history before, at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, when she became the first athlete ever to win gold medals in two different disciplines—Alpine skiing Super-G and snowboarding parallel giant slalom—at the same Winter Olympics. She was also the first Czech to win the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding at the FIS Snowboard World Cup.
Now, at 29, Ledecká has once again stunned the sports world. After focusing primarily on skiing this season, she returned to snowboarding and quickly proved she was still at the top of her game.
"I’ve only been skiing this season, so I didn’t know how I would compare to the others. I didn’t have any training with them, but I stayed in the loop with occasional snowboard workouts. I was pleasantly surprised to win the qualifier, thinking about each run individually, and it worked out," she said.
Her performance in St. Moritz was nothing short of extraordinary. Ledecká won the parallel giant slalom qualifier by more than three seconds ahead of World Cup champion Tsubaki Miki of Japan. She continued her impressive run through the elimination heats, defeating Italy’s Jasmin Coratti by over three seconds in the semifinals.
In the final, Ledecká outpaced Miki by 48 hundredths of a second to claim her third career gold in snowboarding. This victory adds to her previous titles, including a 2017 world gold in giant slalom and a 2015 world slalom title. Reflecting on the significance of this win, Ledecká shared her excitement with Czech Radio:
“It’s amazing, especially with the skiing bronze in the same year. I have to thank my team—Ladislav Polášek and Justin Reiter. Despite having limited time, Justin was able to prepare me for this competition.
“I really appreciate it, and I truly believe Justin is a one-of-a-kind coach. My mom and dad were here as well, which made it even more special to have them with me. Of course, what you see is the results, but it's my team that allows me to compete at this level in two sports.”
Despite all her achievements, Ledecká isn’t done yet. She’s still hoping the International Olympic Committee will change the program for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, so she can compete in both skiing and snowboarding events.
