A certain coquetry is part of Ester Ledecká's sporting self-portrayal: "I had to remember that today I'm not a snowboarder anymore," said the multi-talented Czech after she completed the Super-G of alpine skiers at the Olympic Games.

She finished fifth.

Three days earlier, the 26-year-old had won gold in the parallel giant slalom.

On the snowboard.

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

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Four years earlier, at the Pyeongchang Games, she had even managed a double victory - which is considered one of the greatest sensations in winter sports history.

Because at a time when even the best skiers are concentrating on individual disciplines in order to feel competitive, Ledecká apparently even combines two sports at will, switching from one to two skis and back again.

In the meantime, she has proved several times on racing skis that her gold run from Pyeongchang was not an alpine “one-hit wonder” by a lost snowboarder.

Recently impressive again at the weekend in Crans-Montana, when she raced to victory in the downhill on Saturday and then finished second on Sunday.

Before the season finale in Méribel in mid-March, Ledecká is fourth in the downhill classification.

The fact that she can no longer intervene in the fight for the small crystal ball is ultimately due to her versatility.

She didn't do all the alpine runs because she sometimes found a parallel snowboard race more interesting.

With twenty World Cup victories and two World Championship titles, she is still significantly more successful on the board than on skis, but "I only feel complete when I do both," she says about her multiple personality.

Her new coach finds that exciting.

Now in its second winter, Ledecká's ski talent is being further promoted by South Tyrolean Franz Gamper after her previous coach Ondrej Bank withdrew into private life.

Gamper enjoys a legendary reputation in the alpine scene, has already looked after the Norwegians around Aksel Lund Svindal, but has never had an athlete like Ester Ledecká around him.

"An interesting person," Gamper calls the unique athlete reserved.

Their multiple abilities are in the genes.

Her grandfather was an Olympian and ice hockey world champion, her mother a figure skater, while her father is a well-known musician and supports his daughter's private team with his money.

The fact that Ledecká is the only Czech on the alpine scene doesn't bother the freedom-loving Prague native at all.

She sees herself as a soloist, which even the Czech Ski Association never really managed to capture.

In Pyeongchang, the officials wanted to dissuade the then 22-year-old from competing in the Super-G in order not to endanger the snowboard gold that was believed to be safe.

In the end they had both.

Now they let her have her way.