Ester Ledecka will try to make Olympic history on 1 March 2026 when the women’s Parallel Giant Slalom opens at Livigno Snow Park, the sixth day of the Milano Cortina Winter Games. No snowboarder has ever won three straight PGS golds.
Ledecka Chases Third Straight PGS Gold
The Czech rider, who stunned Alpine purists by grabbing Super-G gold in 2018, starts qualification at 09:00 CET. She has skipped the Alpine downhill in nearby Bormio, betting everything on the board event she has owned since PyeongChang. A win would keep her on track to repeat the rare ski-snowboard double she completed eight years ago.
Miki Tops Japanese Threat
Tsubaki Miki, 22, leads the 2025-26 PGS World Cup and beat Ledecka to Parallel Slalom gold at the 2023 Bakuriani worlds. Tomoka Takeuchi, 42, races her fourth Games, while Austria’s Claudia Riegler, 52, becomes the oldest Olympic snowboarder ever, extending the record she set at 44 in 2018.
Italy Men Aim for Podium Sweep
The host nation has four riders inside the PGS top six. Veteran Roland Fischnaller, 45, tops the World Cup after wins in Carezza and Mylin. Engadin team champions Maurizio Bormolini and Aaron March sit third and fourth; Mirko Felicetti, December Mylin winner, adds depth no rival team can match.
Karl’s Last Run at History
Defending champion Benjamin Karl, 40, calls these his final Games. Any medal would give the Austrian four Olympic podium finishes, the most by a male snowboarder. He trails only Fischnaller in this season’s rankings and logged the fastest qualification time at January’s test event on the same slope.
Big Air Qualifiers Close Night
Floodlights switch on at 19:30 for women’s Big Air qualification. Austria’s Anna Gasser starts her bid for a third straight title. New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and Britain’s Mia Brookes are early threats, while Japan’s Kokomo Murase, Reira Iwabuchi and Mari Fukada—who swept the 2025 world podium—join a 30-rider field chasing 12 final spots on Monday.
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Useful Resources
- FIS Snowboard World Cup standings – live points tables and race replays
- Milano Cortina 2026 schedule app – real-time start lists and venue transport
- Snowboard Austria technical blog – equipment notes from World Cup servicemen
- “Riding Sideways” podcast – interviews with Ledecka, Miki and Karl on Olympic prep
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