Photo: Millo Moravski/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

Dual Threat Ester Ledecka Wins Giant Slalom Championship in Switzerland

Originally posted on SNOWBOARDER | By Josh Sullivan | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 11:29 AM ET

Why choose between skiing and snowboarding when you can just be dominant at both?

Czech rider (and skier) Ester Ledecka has won the parallel giant slalom snowboard cross World Championship in Switzerland. It’s the second season-long podium finish for Ledecka, as she won bronze at alpine skiing worlds back in February.

“I cannot even believe it,” Ledecka told FIS after the race. “I had a beautiful season on skis and had some really nice races. It was really cool coming here. I was so excited to get back on the snowboard, I am a snowboarder at heart. It was a little bit of a fight inside all season being on skis so I am so happy to be here.”

Ester Ledecka of Team Czech Republic reacts during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's super G on March 14, 2025 in La Thuile, Italy.Photo: Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images

The gold is Ledecka’s first snowboard world title in eight years, though she won two golds and a silver in 2015 and 2017. On Thursday, March 20, 2025, she beat defending champion Tsubaki Miki. Poland’s Aleksandra Krol-Walas took home the bronze medal.

"It's awesome," Ledecka said to the Associated Press after the race. "I haven't competed in a world championships since [2017] because it was difficult with timing because of skiing events."

Ledecka is a three-time Olympic medalist. She won gold in both disciplines back in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, and won gold in 2022 in Beijing. She will try to do the same at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games, but as of right now, a scheduling snafu could keep her from achieving that dream. The women’s downhill skiing and the snowboard parallel giant slalom races are scheduled close together, and at venues four hours away from each other.

It would not be unprecedented to alter the Olympic schedule so she could successfully compete in both events, the AP reported. The International Olympic Committee did so in 1996 at the Atlanta Games so Michael Johnson could race in both the 200 and 400. He won both of those events. The IOC also did the same in 2016, so Allyson Felix could race in both the 200 and 400.

“It’s like someone has broken your dream,” Ledeck said to the AP after a training run in December. “So please change it. Please, please, please. It’s my biggest dream to do both. I can create a great show for people.”

Ledecka has 88 World Cup starts in skiing and 63 World Cup starts in snowboarding. She has won 4 times in skiing, and 25 times in snowboarding.