Ledecka made Olympic history in 2018 by achieving an unprecedented double for a woman with two gold medals at the same Winter Olympics in two different sports, in alpine skiing (super-G) and in alpine snowboarding.

She will try to achieve this double again by aiming for a coronation in super-G, scheduled for Friday, before the downhill (February 15) and the combined (February 17).

On Tuesday, the 26-year-old Czech beat Austrian Daniela Ulbing in the final to claim the third Olympic title of her career.

The bronze medal went to Slovenian Gloria Kotnik.

Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecka during the parallel giant slalom final at the Beijing Games on February 8, 2022 in Zhangjiakou Marco BERTORELLO AFP

But Ledecka was "so focused on every run" that she didn't immediately realize her feat.

"I was still thinking about what I could improve on the next downhill and then I realized there wouldn't be another one," she said.

"Natural"

During the previous Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, she had had a week before changing disciplines, this time it will only be two days.

Hence a "unique and amusing situation" after this new title: "Part of my mind is still running this slalom and the other is already trying to follow the lines of the ski", says the Czech.

"And a little party party in between."

The transition between the two disciplines, she is used to it anyway.

"For me, it's natural and I've been doing it since I was a child," recalls the now three-time Olympic champion.

Czech snowboarder Ester Ledecka, during parallel giant slalom qualifying against Russian Natalia Soboleva at the Beijing Games, February 8, 2022 in Zhangjiakou Marco BERTORELLO AFP

A sign of her superiority in snowboarding, she has only competed in four races in this discipline for two years before the 2022 Olympics and has won three of them.

Ledecka has focused on alpine skiing in particular this winter, with convincing results: she has lined up in eight races on the world circuit, with four top 10 finishes including a podium (a third place in the downhill).

"When I'm on my skis, it happens at high speed, when I then switch to snowboarding, I feel like I have more time for everything. Conversely, snowboarding gives me a better sense of balance", she explained before her debut in Beijing.

© 2022 AFP