Czech Republic racer Ester Ledecka, who also competes in snowboarding, made a charge from late in the field for her first World Cup victory on the ski side.
The 26th racer to take the course, Ledecka finished in 1 minute, 31.87 seconds to capture the women’s season-opening downhill competition Friday. The 24-year-old Ledecka edged Corinne Suter of Switzerland by 0.35 seconds on a snowy afternoon. Stephanie Venier of Austria wound up third, while three-time overall World Cup winner Mikaela Shiffrin took 10th.
If Ledecka’s surge from back in the pack sounds familiar, it's because Ledecka made a similar run — wearing bib No. 26 — at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics when she captured a stunning gold medal in the super-G. She then followed that by winning the parallel giant slalom in snowboarding to become the first athlete to win two golds at the same Winter Games using two different types of equipment.
Ester Ledecka, of the Czech Republic, skis down the course during the women's World Cup downhill ski race in Lake Louise, Alberta, Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (Frank GunnThe Canadian Press via AP)
Ledecka dabbles in both ski and snowboard competitions. Her best finish on the Alpine side before this race was seventh in a 2017 downhill race in Lake Louise. She’s won 17 World Cup races in the snowboard realm.
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Austria's Stephanie Venier reacts in the finish area following her run in the women's World Cup downhill ski race at Lake Louise, Alberta, Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (Jeff McIntoshThe Canadian Press via AP)