Ester Ledecka dominates World Cup snowboard alpine opener in Mylin

Ester Ledecka kicked off her 2024/2025 snowboard alpine season in style, claiming a commanding victory in the World Cup Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS) event in Mylin, People’s Republic of China, on Saturday (30 November).

The two-time Olympic snowboard champion was in a league of her own on the slopes of Inner Mongolia’s new venue, making its debut on the tour.

After setting the fastest qualifying time, Ledecka eliminated Michelle Dekker (NED), Ladina Caviezel (SUI), and Tsubaki Miki (JAP) en route to the big final.

In the decisive race against Poland’s Aleksandra Krol-Walas, the 29-year-old from Prague delivered another flawless performance, taking an early lead of more than half a second and crossing the finish line 1.67 seconds ahead of her rival.

“It feels great. It wasn’t easy, for sure,” Ledecka told FIS after claiming her 25th World Cup victory—and her fifth in a row. “The conditions were quite bumpy, with no visibility due to the flat light, so it was difficult to race. But I think we all did a very good job, and I hope the spectators enjoyed it!”

In the men’s event, Italy’s Edwin Coratti clinched the win, finishing ahead of Kim Sangkyum of the Republic of Korea.