Born in Prague into a family of athletes and artists, Ester Ledecka has defied expectations by excelling at not one, but two winter disciplines. Ledecka's rise through the junior rankings as a snowboarder competing in Alpine racing saw her earn the title of Junior Sportsperson of the Year at Czechia's 2013 Sportsperson of the Year awards before making her Olympic debut in Sochi in 2014. 

Her breakthrough moment came at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, where she made history as the first athlete in Olympic history to win gold in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Olympic Games. She won her third Olympic gold in 2022 in Beijing, defending her gold in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding. Although Ledecka announced she will be unable to compete in the Alpine downhill event due to scheduling conflicts, she will be looking to compete for gold in both the super-G in Alpine skiing and parallel giant slalom in snowboarding.

Get to know more about the Czech dual athlete ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

Where is Ester Ledecka from?

 Ledecka was born in Prague, Czechia, to father Janek Ledecky, a famous musician in Czechia and Slovakia, and mother Zuzana, a figure skater.

How old is Ester Ledecka in 2026?

Ledecka was born on March 23, 1995. She will be 31 years old in 2026.

When did Ester Ledecka start skiing and snowboarding?

Ledecka first played ice hockey when she was a child. She picked up skiing when she was four years old and later switched to freestyle snowboarding to follow in her older brother's footsteps. She turned to Alpine snowboarding, skiing on her off days. 

How did Ester Ledecka rise to fame as a dual-sport Olympic champion?

In 2017, Ledecka became the first athlete to compete in both the Alpine skiing and snowboarding world championships. During the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Ledecka made history when she became the first person in history to win gold medals in Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Olympic Games at age 22. Her win in the super-G came as a surprise given she was ranked 49th in the world at the time and never had earned a medal in a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup event. Since then, she's established herself as the dual-sport athlete to watch. 

What is Ester Ledecka’s career timeline in Alpine skiing and snowboarding?

Ledecka competed in her first snowboarding World Cup during the 2012-13 season, placing 13th in the parallel giant slalom. During the 2013 Junior World Championships, she won gold in the parallel slalom at 17 years old. At Czechia's 2013 Sportsperson of the Year awards, Ledecka was named Junior Sportsperson of the Year. She became the third Czech athlete to win any World Cup snowboarding event during the 2013-14 FIS Snowboard World Cup campaign when she won gold in the parallel giant slalom event in Rogla, Slovenia. 

She made her Olympic debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the parallel giant slalom event, where she placed seventh overall. Ledecka made her FIS Alpine Ski World Cup debut in February 2016 in Garmisch, Germany, placing 24th in the Kandahar downhill. She went on to compete in the downhill and super-G disciplines, scoring points in four of her first five World Cup events. After she became the first athlete to compete in both the Alpine skiing and snowboarding world championships in 2017, Ledecka made her Olympic debut in Alpine skiing in 2018. In a historic upset, she defeated defending Olympic champion Anna Veith by .01 seconds to win gold in the super-G. She went on to win gold in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding, becoming the first athlete to win gold medals in Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Olympic Games.

Ledecka won her first World Cup super-G event in December 2020. She won Olympic gold in the parallel giant slalom for the second time in 2022, finishing fifth in super-G and fourth in the combined. She continued to divide her time between the two sports, despite an injury that sidelined her during the summer of 2022. Earlier this year, Ledecka made history once more when she became the first athlete to win two FIS World Championship medals during the same season in two separate disciplines.

How many Olympic medals does Ester Ledecka have?

Ledecka has three Olympic gold medals. She won gold in parallel giant slalom in snowboarding and the super-G in Alpine skiing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Four years later, she defended her gold in the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding in Beijing.

What technical skills make Ester Ledecka a dominant racer in multiple sports?

Ledecka knows how to read the terrain of her races. Skiing and snowboarding at the same time helped her develop an ability to understand the race with a technical eye, knowing when to go low or high at a gate or when to make a precise turn at the right moment. She also has near complete control over her snowboard from years of training, expertly manipulating her body in tandem with her board when completing a course. That same balance and control easily transferred over to skis. 

How does Ester Ledecka compare to other Alpine skiing and snowboarding greats?

Ledecka is in a league of her own. As the only woman to have won Olympic gold in two different sports at the same Olympic Games, she solidified herself in history in both sports. Ledecka is one of the best parallel giant slalom snowboarders in the world as a two-time Olympic and world champion in the event. Recently, she has faced competition from Tsubaki Miki, a 22-year-old Japanese snowboarder who won gold in the parallel slalom event at the 2025 World Championships and gold in the parallel giant slalom event at the 2023 World Championships.

Although top Alpine skiers like Lindsey Vonn and Federica Brignone specialize in Alpine-specific events like super-G and giant slalom, Ledecka hones her skills in two separate sports to race against the best in both. Like Vonn, Ledecka has an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing as well as a world medal (bronze) in the downhill. Like Brignone, Ledecka debuted on the World Cup circuit as a teenager, finding success early on. 

Czechia's Ester Ledecka won her second straight Olympic title in women's parallel giant slalom at Beijing 2022.

Imagn

Will Ester Ledecka compete in both skiing and snowboarding at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics?

In October, Ledecka announced that she will not compete in the Alpine downhill event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics due to scheduling conflicts. Both snowboarding's giant slalom event and Alpine skiing's downhill event take place on the same day. Ledecka chose to focus her efforts on snowboarding after failing to lodge a successful appeal to the International Olympic Committee. She most likely will compete in the women's super-G in Alpine skiing since the event takes place four days after her snowboarding event.

Could Ester Ledecka win more Olympic gold medals in 2026?

It is entirely possible that Ledecka will win an Olympic gold medal in 2026. The Czech national is a two-time Olympic champion in her favored snowboarding discipline, the parallel giant slalom. After making the difficult decision to solely focus on snowboarding ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ledecka will have more time and energy to improve her times in the event and ensure she is adequately prepared to perform at her highest level come February.

How is Ester Ledecka performing in the 2025–26 Alpine skiing and snowboarding seasons?

Ledecka will compete in her first competition in snowboard parallel giant slalom as the 2025-26 FIS World Cup circuit kicks off in December.

How important would another Olympic medal be for Ester Ledecka’s career and legacy?

If Ledecka wins another Olympic medal in either snowboard or Alpine skiing, she would be solidifying her legacy as the best dual-sport athlete in the world. She potentially could make history once more if she wins gold for the third time in the parallel giant slalom. No woman has won three back-to-back Olympic golds in a single women's snowboard event.

What are Ester Ledecka’s biggest world championship results?

Ledecka has six world championship medals to her name. She won her first world title in snowboarding in 2015, winning the parallel slalom event at 19 years old. She went on to claim gold in the parallel giant slalom event and silver in the parallel slalom event in 2017 and 2025. Ledecka earned her only world medal in Alpine skiing in 2025, claiming bronze in the downhill event in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.

How many World Cup podiums does Ester Ledecka have in both disciplines?

Ledecka has 11 World Cup podiums in Alpine skiing, winning two World Cups in downhill and two World Cups in super-G. She also has 39 World Cup podiums in snowboard, including 25 victories. Her first World Cup win came in 2014 in Rogla, Slovenia, in the snowboard parallel giant slalom event. 

What records has Ester Ledecka set as a dual-sport athlete?

Ledecka is the first athlete to compete in both the Alpine skiing and snowboarding world championships. She also is the first person in history to win gold medals in Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Olympic Games.

How does Ester Ledecka rank in Alpine skiing and snowboard World Cup standings?

Last season, Ledecka finished 26th overall for parallel giant slalom in snowboarding and 16th overall for super-G in Alpine skiing in the FIS rankings