Ester Ledecká facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ester Ledecká

Ledecká in 2017
Personal information
Born	(1995-03-23) 23 March 1995 (age 30) Prague, Czech Republic
Height	173 cm
Weight	68 kg
Sport
Country	Czech Republic
Sport	Snowboarding Alpine skiing
Event(s)	Parallel slalom, parallel giant slalom Downhill, super-G, combined
Club	Dukla Liberec
Coached by	Justin Reiter (snowboard) Tomáš Bank, Ondřej Bank (ski)
Achievements and titles
World finals	Gold medal in parallel slalom at Kreischberg 2015 Gold medal in parallel giant slalom at Sierra Nevada 2017 Gold medal in parallel giant slalom at Engadin 2025 Silver medal in parallel slalom at Sierra Nevada 2017 Silver medal in parallel slalom at Engadin 2025 Bronze medal in downhill at 2025 Saalbach
Olympic finals	Gold medal in Parallel giant slalom at Pyeongchang 2018 Gold medal in Super-G at Pyeongchang 2018 Gold medal in Parallel giant slalom at Beijing 2022
Highest world ranking	1st in Parallel World Cup (2016–2019) 1st in Parallel giant slalom World Cup (2016, 2018, 2019) • 2nd in Ski Downhill World Cup (2020) • 3rd in Alpine Combined World Cup (2020)
Medal record Representing  Czech Republic Women's snowboarding International snowboarding competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 3 2 0 Junior World Championships 2 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 2018 Pyeongchang Parallel giant slalom Gold 2022 Beijing Parallel giant slalom World Championships Gold 2015 Kreischberg Parallel slalom Gold 2017 Sierra Nevada Parallel giant slalom Gold 2025 Engadin Parallel giant slalom Silver 2017 Sierra Nevada Parallel slalom Silver 2025 Engadin Parallel slalom Junior World Championships Gold 2013 Erzurum Parallel slalom Gold 2013 Erzurum Parallel giant slalom European Youth Olympic Festival Gold 2011 Liberec Parallel giant slalom Women's alpine skiing International alpine skiing competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 0 World Championships 0 0 1 Olympic Games Gold 2018 Pyeongchang Super-G World Championships Bronze 2025 Saalbach Downhill

Ledecká with Martina Sáblíková (left) at Old Town Square in Prague after returning from the 2018 Winter Olympics

Ester Ledecká (born March 23, 1995) is an amazing athlete from the Czech Republic. She is famous for competing in two different winter sports at a very high level: snowboarding and alpine skiing.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Ester made history. She won gold medals in both the super-G in alpine skiing and the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding. This made her the first person ever to win two gold medals in two different sports at the same Winter Olympics! She was also the first Czech athlete to win the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding at the FIS Snowboard World Cup.

Early Life and Family Sports

Ester Ledecká was born in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Her mom, Zuzana, was a figure skater, and her dad, Janek Ledecký, is a well-known musician.

Sports run in Ester's family! Her grandpa, Jan Klapáč, was a famous ice hockey player. He won many medals at the World Championships and the Olympics.

Ester started playing ice hockey when she was very young. Then, at age four, she began skiing. When she was five, she tried snowboarding because her older brother started it. She wanted to be just like him, and even better! She first did freestyle snowboarding and boardercross, then switched to alpine snowboarding to compete against her brother.

Even while becoming a top athlete, Ester continued her studies. She attended a distance-learning high school program in Prague. When she's not training, she enjoys playing the guitar and singing. She also loves summer sports like beach volleyball and windsurfing.

Ester's Amazing Career Highlights

Ester Ledecká started her professional career in snowboarding. She competed in her first World Cup tournament in 2012-2013. In March 2013, when she was just 17, she won two gold medals at the Junior World Championships. Because of her success, she was named "Junior Sportsperson of the Year" in the Czech Republic.

Rising Star in Snowboarding

In the 2013-2014 season, Ester continued to shine. She won a gold medal in the parallel giant slalom at Rogla, Slovenia. This was a big deal because she was the first Czech snowboarder to win a World Cup event in that discipline. She became only the third Czech ever to win any World Cup snowboarding event.

Ester made her first Olympic appearance at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She competed in the parallel giant slalom snowboarding event and finished in seventh place overall.

Conquering Both Snowboarding and Skiing

Ester is unique because she competes in both snowboarding and alpine skiing at the highest level. She started racing in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in February 2016. She quickly showed her talent in downhill and super-G skiing events.

In 2017, she became the first athlete to compete in both the Skiing and Snowboarding World Championships in the same year. She won a gold and a silver medal in snowboarding. She also finished well in her skiing events.

Historic Olympic Gold Medals

The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang were truly special for Ester. She shocked the world by winning the gold medal in the super-G alpine skiing event. Many people didn't expect her to win because she was ranked 49th in the world for that event and had never won a World Cup skiing medal before. She won by a tiny 0.01 seconds!

After her skiing victory, she went on to win another gold medal in the parallel giant slalom snowboarding event. This made her the first female athlete to win two gold medals in two different sports at the same Winter Olympics. It was an incredible achievement! Ester was chosen to carry the flag for the Czech Republic at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympics.

Continued Success and Challenges

Ester continued to compete in both sports after the 2018 Olympics. In December 2019, she won her first World Cup race in alpine skiing, a downhill event in Lake Louise, Canada. In December 2020, she also won her first World Cup Super-G race.

She kept achieving top results, finishing second in the World Cup downhill standings in 2020 and third in 2022. She also won her second Olympic gold medal in snowboarding at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, again in the parallel giant slalom. In alpine skiing at the 2022 Olympics, she finished fifth in super-G and fourth in combined.

In the summer of 2022, Ester had an injury during training. She worked hard to recover and returned to competition in March 2023. She won a parallel slalom race in Germany, showing her amazing comeback.

On March 20, 2025, Ester Ledecká made history again. She won her third World Championship gold medal in parallel giant slalom in Engadin, Switzerland. This made her the first athlete ever to win two FIS World Championship medals in the same season across two different sports! She also earned a bronze medal in downhill at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria, in 2025.

Ester's Major Achievements

Ester Ledecká has won many important medals throughout her career.

Olympic Medals

• 3 Gold Medals
  • 2018 Pyeongchang: Gold in Snowboarding (Parallel Giant Slalom)
  • 2018 Pyeongchang: Gold in Alpine Skiing (Super-G)
  • 2022 Beijing: Gold in Snowboarding (Parallel Giant Slalom)

World Championship Medals

• 3 Gold Medals
  • 2015 Kreischberg: Gold in Snowboarding (Parallel Slalom)
  • 2017 Sierra Nevada: Gold in Snowboarding (Parallel Giant Slalom)
  • 2025 Engadin: Gold in Snowboarding (Parallel Giant Slalom)
• 2 Silver Medals
  • 2017 Sierra Nevada: Silver in Snowboarding (Parallel Slalom)
  • 2025 Engadin: Silver in Snowboarding (Parallel Slalom)
• 1 Bronze Medal
  • 2025 Saalbach: Bronze in Alpine Skiing (Downhill)

Images for kids

• 

  Ledecká with Martina Sáblíková (left) at Old Town Square in Prague after returning from the 2018 Winter Olympics

See also

In Spanish: Ester Ledecká para niños