Winter Olympics 2022 - Ester Ledecka on course for more Olympic history after retaining snowboard title
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ByEurosport
Updated 08/02/2022 at 10:43 GMT
The Czech, who became the first athlete to win Olympic gold in two sports at the same Games at PyeongChang 2018, remains on course to do the same again after taking an easy gold in her favoured snowboard parallel giant slalom event, beating Daniela Ulbing in the final. Benjamin Karl won the men's event. Watch every moment of the Games on discovery+.
'What an athlete, remarkable!' - Dominant Ledecka wins third Olympic gold
Ester Ledecka easily retained her snowboard parallel giant slalom title at the Winter Olympics to kick off her bid for more history in Beijing, with Benjamin Karl finally taking gold in the men's event - after winning some of the sport's biggest honours over recent years.
The Czech - who became the first athlete to win gold in two sports on two pieces of equipment (skis and snowboard) at the same Games in 2018 - beat Austria's Daniela Ulbing in the final, with Glorija Kotnik taking a surprise bronze, having never reached the podium of a World Cup event.
Ledecka will now switch her attention to Alpine skiing, where she will defend her super-G title and also go in the downhill.
The 26-year-old was always the favourite for gold and she cruised through to the final, taking control of the event from the start with the fastest run in the elimination round.
Ledecka made a good start in the final, but Ulbing responded well as she tried to put pressure on during the early stages. The Austrian was closing in, but as she took more risks, the mistake eventually came and Ledecka cruised across the line.
There was an inevitability about the result, with Ledecka so dominant in the event, and she barely celebrated as she secured her third Olympic gold.
Karl took victory in the men's event by beating Slovenia's Tim Mastnak in the final, securing the big medal missing from his vast collection.
The Austrian is a five-time world champion, has 43 World Cup podiums and also has a silver and bronze from Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 respectively - but landed gold by 0.82 seconds.
Double Olympic champion Victor Wild of the Russian Olympic Committee is the bronze medallist, after Italy's Roland Fischnaller failed to finish.
Ledecka's bid to make more history continues on Friday with the super-G.
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Watch every moment of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 on discovery+
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