Winter Olympics: Dual champion Ledecka retains snowboard parallel giant slalom title
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Ester Ledecka celebrates after the snowboard women's parallel giant slalom final in Beijing on Feb 8, 2022.
PHOTO: AFP
ZHANGJIAKOU (REUTERS) - Czech Ester Ledecka extended her winning Olympic streak as she secured the gold medal in women's snowboard parallel giant slalom at the Beijing Games on Tuesday (Feb 8).
Daniela Ulbing of Austria claimed the silver and Gloria Kotnik of Slovenia the bronze.
In this event, two boarders compete against one another on parallel courses, with the athletes holding the highest seeding from qualification choosing their preferred course, red or blue.
The competition took place at the Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou, where the athletes were blessed with clear skies and relatively warm temperatures of -9 degrees C.
The 26-year-old Ledecka made history at the Pyeongchang Games in 2018 by becoming the first athlete in Winter Olympic history to win gold medals in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding's parallel giant slalom.
Ledecka said before Tuesday's event she considers herself a"double threat" as half snowboarder and half skier.
She will have little time to celebrate as she will also defend her alpine skiing super-G title in Beijing.
“I’m proud of my team and they’ve done an amazing job," she said.
“It’s a little bit difficult because part of my head is still racing right now on that (snowboard) course and the other side of my head is already trying to get through the line on the skiing course.”
“I’m proud of my team and they’ve done an amazing job," she said.
“It’s a little bit difficult because part of my head is still racing right now on that (snowboard) course and the other side of my head is already trying to get through the line on the skiing course.”
Bronze medallist Kotnik burst into tears speaking to reporters after she made the podium for the first time.
“It’s for my family,” she said, dedicating the medal to her one-year old son. “I just want to make him and everyone proud.”
“It’s for my family,” she said, dedicating the medal to her one-year old son. “I just want to make him and everyone proud.”
In the men's parallel giant slalom, Benjamin Karl from Austria barrelled down the course to win gold on Tuesday.
Karl beat Tim Mastnak from Slovenia in the final race by 0.82 seconds, while Vic Wild from the Russian Olympic Committee took bronze.
“I can’t describe with words, I’m just happy and satisfied,” Karl said, adding that winning gold had been his “life project”.
None of the medallists from the 2018 Games made it onto the podium in Tuesday's final, with South Korea's favourite Lee Sang-ho and Nevin Galmarini from Switzerland washing out earlier in the day's final races.
Zan Kosir from Slovenia, who won bronze in Pyeongchang and Sochi, said he spent a total of 11 days in quarantine after testing positive in Beijing.
The isolation period affected his mental state and prevented him from training adequately, Kosir told reporters after he failed to finish his 1/8 final race.
