Ester Ledecka's Golden Dilemma: Choosing Snowboarding Over Skiing

Ester Ledecka opts to prioritize snowboarding over Alpine skiing for the next Winter Olympics due to scheduling conflicts. She remains the only athlete to qualify in two sports for three consecutive Olympics. Despite her appeals to the IOC, her schedule remains unchanged.

Ester Ledecka, the renowned Czech athlete known for her historic win in two sports at the 2018 Winter Olympics, faces a tough decision for the upcoming games. She has decided to prioritize snowboarding over Alpine skiing due to a clash in scheduling, preventing her from participating in the women's downhill race.

Ledecka's bid to have the schedule reconsidered was supported by Johan Eliasch, president of skiing's governing body FIS, but the International Olympic Committee rejected her appeal. Determined, Ledecka will now focus on pursuing a third straight Olympic gold in the snowboard parallel giant slalom.

The Czech Olympic Committee expressed regret over the inflexible scheduling, but commended Ledecka's determination. Despite this setback, Ledecka still has the opportunity to compete in the Alpine skiing super-G event on February 12.

(With inputs from agencies.)