Winter Olympics 2022: ‘What a spectacular 70mph recovery!’ - no medal for Ester Ledecka but a showcase of downhill skill

Published 15/02/2022 at 09:30 GMT

Ester Ledecka has so far not been able to make more history at the Winter Olympics by winning snowboard and Alpine skiing titles at a second successive Games. But she showed her incredible skill by recovering from losing control and spinning off the course at around 70mph when she was on a flying run in the downhill. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.

‘A 70mph recovery’ – Ledecka with incredible recovery after getting ‘twisted up’

Ester Ledecka showcased her skill with the skis with an incredible recovery during the women's downhill, but it was little consolation for missing out on more history at the Winter Olympics.

The Czech was flying down the course and was in the lead, before she lost control on one of the turns, spinning off backwards at around 70mph.

Despite the speed of the mistake, Ledecka remarkably stayed on her skis and recovered to re-join the course but her medal hopes were over and she finished over six seconds behind the eventual gold medallist, Corinne Suter.

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“What a spectacular 70mph recovery” said Eurosport commentator Nick Fellows, who likened the G-force to a “Formula 1 racing car on a bend”, before Emma Carrick Anderson praised her “incredible skill to stay on her feet”.

It was little consolation for Ledecka, who was visibly disappointed with her run when she crossed the finish line.

Ledecka still has a chance to repeat her stunning achievement of winning two gold medals across two sports at the same Games, having become the first Winter Olympian to do that at Pyeongchang 2018.

Having retained her snowboard parallel slalom title, the 26-year-old finished an impressive fifth in the super-G and she will now turn her attention to the combined event which takes place on Thursday.

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