Industry News
Ester Ledecká reclaimed her place atop the snowboard world with a commanding victory in the women’s parallel giant slalom at the 2025 Freeski and Snowboard World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, on Thursday, March 20. The three-time Olympic champion, known for her unprecedented success in both alpine skiing and snowboarding, secured her first snowboard world title in eight years, defeating defending champion Miki Tsubaki of Japan in the final.
Ledecká, who won bronze in the Downhill at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in February, dominated throughout the event. She topped the qualification runs with an incredible lead of 3.29 seconds on Tsubaki and cruised through the knockout rounds before taking down Tsubaki for her third World Championship title and second Parallel Giant Slalom title. She defeated the Japanese in the Big Final with a lead of 0.48 seconds. “It’s awesome,” Ledecká said in an interview with FIS after the race. “I haven’t competed in a World Championships since [2017] because it was difficult with timing because of skiing events.”
Poland’s Aleksandra Krol-Walas edged local favorite Ladina Caviezel in the Small Final to claim Bronze, repeating her podium finish from 2023 by 0.14 seconds. USA’s Iris Pflum claimed 18th place, Kaiya Kizuka 33rd place, and Kaiya Kizuka claimed 37th place.
Meanwhile in the men’s event, Italy’s Roland Fischnaller wrote his own historic chapter, winning Gold in the Snowboard Parallel Giant Slalom at the age of 44. The veteran racer, who last claimed a world title in 2013, returned to the top of the podium after an 11-year hiatus. This makes him the oldest person to ever win a Snowboard World Championship title, beating 2023 Parallel Slalom winner Andreas Prommegger, who had been 42 years at the Bakuriani, Georgia World Championships. Austria’s Prommegger claimed fifth today. USA’s Cody Winters claimed eighth place and Walker Overstake claimed 36th place.
Ledecká, one of the most versatile athletes in winter sports history, is the only person to win Olympic gold in both skiing and snowboarding. She famously stunned the world by taking Super-G gold in Alpine skiing at the 2018 PyeongChang Games before adding another title in Snowboarding’s Parallel Giant Slalom just days later. She defended her Olympic Snowboard title in 2022 in Beijing.
The 2025 Freeski and Snowboard World Championships are currently underway in the Engadin St. Moritz region, with Corviglia hosting events in snowboard parallel, moguls, ski and boarder cross, and aerials.
