Professional Czech snowboarder and alpine skier Ester Ledecká has taken home a gold at the Sierra Nevada FIS World Championships in Spain.
In what proved to be a tight race, Ledecká defeated Patrizia Kummer of Switzerland to claim the women’s Parallel Giant Slalom title yesterday.
The 21-year-old Czech is the only athlete to compete in two World Championships in the same season as both a snowboarder and alpine skier.
Slalom gigante parallelo: oro per la ceca Ester Ledecka ??, battuta Patrizia Kummer… pic.twitter.com/ERm9kvCWVT
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) March 16, 2017
Ledecká was born in Prague to a sporting family: her mother Zuzana is a figure skater and her grandfather is former ice hockey player and two-time Olympic medallist Jan Klapáč.
Last year she won the Snowboard World Cup in parallel slalom and in giant parallel slalom. She has also participated in six alpine skiing competitions, no small feat considering the differing disciplines and competition calendars.
Of her double-threat status Ledecká told reporters: “I know everyone is talking about me because I compete in snowboard and alpine skiing, but I like it…I really enjoy what I do.”