Ester Ledecka

About Ester Ledecka

Czech alpine skier and snowboarder, born 23 March 1995 in Prague, daughter of musician Janek Ledecky; races for TJ Dukla Liberec. Began snowboarding at age five and alpine skiing at four; made her snowboard World Cup debut in the 2012-13 season and her alpine ski World Cup debut in February 2016. In 2017 became the first athlete to compete at both the alpine skiing and snowboarding World Championships in the same year, winning parallel giant slalom gold and parallel slalom silver in snowboard at the Sierra Nevada Freestyle/Snowboard Worlds. At the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, won gold in alpine skiing super-G in one of the greatest upsets in Olympic skiing history, edging defending champion Anna Veith by 0.01 seconds as a rank outsider who had never previously medaled at World Cup level, then days later won gold in snowboard parallel giant slalom - becoming the first athlete ever to win two golds in two different disciplines/equipment types at the same Winter Olympics. Won her first alpine ski World Cup race (downhill, Lake Louise) in December 2019 and her first alpine World Cup super-G win (Val d'Isere) in December 2020. Defended her snowboard parallel giant slalom Olympic title at Beijing 2022. Won a third snowboard World Championship gold (parallel giant slalom, St. Moritz) in March 2025, becoming the first athlete to win World Championship medals in two different disciplines in the same season. Competed in both sports again at Milano-Cortina 2026.