Ledecka and Karl write history with gold medals in Olympic PGS
Feb 08, 2022·Alpine Snowboard
It was a day of storybook endings at the Genting Snow Park as the medals were handed out in the men’s and women’s parallel giant slalom. After four days of training, Tuesday was the day that everyone who is passionate about snowboard carving was waiting for, and certainly all those fans who tuned in to watch the fastest riders on earth compete at the biggest stage were not disappointed. With bluebird skies, outstanding head-to-head matchups and some history in the making, the Beijing 2022 parallel giant slalom competition definitely lived up to all our expectations.
First to claim gold was defending women’s champion Ester Ledecka (CZE), who four years ago in PyeongChang topped the podium in two different sports - snowboard and alpine skiing.
She is making the same bid for double gold in Beijing and will have little time to celebrate her snowboard success, with her tilt at glory in alpine skiing starting on February 11.
"Part of my head is still racing right now on that course," Ledecka said following her parallel giant slalom success on Tuesday. "The other side of my head is already trying to get through the lines on the skiing course.
“And then a small part is celebrating the win.”
The 26-year-old dominated her rivals throughout qualification and into the finals.
“I'm a very competitive person, so I just want to be better and better and always improve myself, but the baseline is always to have fun," Ledecka said.
Daniela Ulbing (AUT) took silver, while Gloria Kotnik (SLO), who had previously competed in the 137 world cup events, 14 world championships and three Olympic Winter Games without ever finishing on the podium, claimed bronze.
In the men’s event, Benjamin Karl (AUT) won gold as he fulfilled a childhood prophecy by claiming the only title missing from his bulging trophy cabinet.
The five-time world champion and Crystal Globe winner, who took bronze in the parallel slalom at the Sochi 2014 Games, and silver in the parallel giant slalom at PyeongChang 2018, became the first snowboarder to complete a full set of Olympic medals. For the 36-year-old, it was the culmination of a dream formed 26 years ago.
"When I was a child, at 10 years old I wrote on a sheet of paper that one day I would be world champion, that I will be the fastest racer in the world, and that I will be an Olympic champion," Karl said. "I was missing out on the last project, but I did everything I had to do in the past years to be prepared for the Olympics.”
Tim Mastnak (SLO) had to settle for silver after being beaten in the final by Karl, while 2014 double Olympic champion in parallel giant slalom and parallel slalom Victor Wild (ROC) won the battle for bronze in the small final against 41-year-old Roland Fischnaller (ITA) who, at his sixth Olympic Winter Games, has yet to add an Olympic podium place to his collection of six world championship medals and six Crystal Globes.
QUICK LINKS:
)
