Ledecka Shines with Top-Six Slalom Finish in Beaver Creek
Ledecká Soars to Top 10 Finish in Beaver Creek Downhill
Beaver Creek, Colorado – Olympic champion Ester Ledecká kicked off her alpine skiing season with a strong sixth-place finish in the World Cup downhill race at Beaver creek. This marks her best result in the discipline since February 2022, when she secured a second-place finish in Crans Montana.Ledecká,arriving from China where she claimed gold and fourth place in parallel snowboard events,showed no signs of jet lag or fatigue. She impressed in training, consistently placing within the top 10.
Starting with bib number 24, Ledecká initially kept pace with eventual winner Cornelia Hütter of Austria. Though, she lost ground in the fourth sector, ultimately finishing just behind Sofia Goggia of Italy and Lara Gut-behrami of Switzerland.
Despite falling short of the podium, Ledecká expressed satisfaction with her performance.
“Today was great. I’m very happy with my run,” she said in a media statement. ”I have to thank my team, especially my physiotherapist, Láďa Polášek, who got me ready to race after the second training run.”
Ledecká’s sixth-place finish marks a triumphant return to the top 10 in downhill after a challenging season. A broken collarbone sidelined her for the entirety of the 2022/23 season, and her best result last year was an eleventh-place finish in the final downhill race in Saalbach.
The Beaver creek downhill course, known for its demanding terrain, presented a unique challenge for Ledecká.
“It’s a huge honor to race on this hill because it’s a men’s hill,” she said. “We’ve never raced hear before.”
Ledecká’s strong showing in Beaver Creek sets the stage for a promising alpine skiing season.
Hütter Dominates Beaver Creek Downhill, Ledecká Finishes Strong
beaver Creek, Colorado - Austrian skier Cornelia Hütter stormed to victory in the women’s downhill at Beaver Creek, securing her second World Cup win of the season. Hütter, who also won the downhill title at the World Cup finals last season, edged out Italian Sofia Goggia by a mere 0.16 seconds. Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami rounded out the podium, finishing 0.34 seconds behind Hütter.
“It’s incredible! I’m so happy to be here and racing, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s super-G,” Hütter said after her victory.
Czech skier Ester Ledecká, the reigning Olympic champion in both super-G and parallel giant slalom, finished a respectable sixth, just 0.60 seconds off the pace. Ledecká will be looking to build on this performance in Sunday’s super-G, an event she won at the World Cup finals in Saalbach earlier this year.
Goggia, returning from a serious knee injury, showed promising form in her comeback race, finishing just shy of Hütter.The women’s World Cup circuit continues in Beaver Creek on Sunday with the super-G, scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM EST.
Ledecká Expresses Satisfaction Wiht top 10 Finish Despite Missing Podium
NewsDirect3.com Exclusive Interview
Beaver Creek, CO – After a strong sixth-place finish in the World Cup downhill race at beaver Creek, Czech skier Ester Ledecká sat down with NewsDirect3.com to discuss her performance and expectations for the remainder of the season.
NewsDirect3: Ester, congratulations on a triumphant return to the top 10 in downhill. How satisfied are you with yoru race today?
Ledecká: “Today was great. I’m very happy with my run. I have to thank my team, especially my physiotherapist, Láďa Polášek, who got me ready to race after the second training run.”
NewsDirect3: you arrived in Colorado fresh off your gold medal and fourth-place finish in parallel snowboard at the World Championships in china. Did you experiance any jet lag or fatigue?
Ledecká: “Not at all. I felt good in training and was consistently placing within the top 10.
NewsDirect3: You were holding pace with the eventual winner, cornelia Hütter, in the early segments of the race. Were did you feel you lost time?
Ledecká: “I lost some ground in the fourth sector.But I am happy with my skiing.”
NewsDirect3: This is your best downhill result as February 2022. How does this performance set you up for the rest of the season?
Ledecká: “It’s a great confidence booster to be back in the top 10.I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s super-G and the rest of the World Cup season.”