On a brisk Sunday in Livigno, Italy, the women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics delivered one of the most jaw-dropping surprises of the Games so far. The world watched as 22-year-old Zuzana Maderova of Czechia soared to her first Olympic gold, toppling a field packed with seasoned champions and national favorites. For Maderova, the moment was nothing short of surreal. “I still can’t believe it. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy. I told myself ‘now or never, just go,’ and I did it,” she said, beaming from the top step of the podium, according to Olympics.com. Her victory marked not only a personal milestone but also the third consecutive gold for Czechia in this event—a streak that has now cemented the nation’s legacy in women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom.
Yet, the day’s drama didn’t end with Maderova’s triumph. The event was widely expected to be a coronation for Ester Ledecká, the Czech superstar and two-time Olympic champion, who was aiming to clinch her third straight gold in the discipline. Ledecká, renowned for her dual-sport dominance—she was the first woman to win gold in both snowboarding and alpine skiing at the PyeongChang 2018 Games—came into Milano Cortina as the clear favorite. But the script flipped in the quarter-finals. Facing Austria’s Sabine Payer, Ledecká made an early mistake from which she couldn’t recover, resulting in a shocking exit. “I’m still analysing what I did wrong and what I would like to do better. I did pretty good quali runs. The first final run was also very nice, there was some good snowboarding, but sadly, I made a mistake,” Ledecká reflected, as reported by Olympics.com.
Payer, for her part, seized the opportunity with both hands. Not only did she send a legend packing, but she also carved her own name into the Olympic record books, securing her first-ever medal—a silver—at her debut Winter Olympics. It’s been a long road for the Austrian, who missed PyeongChang 2018 due to injury and was sidelined by illness at Beijing 2022. The emotion was palpable as she stepped onto the podium at Livigno Snow Park. “Olympics were always very, very disappointing for me, and today, yeah, it could change the story and maybe it was my way to wait for so long and to take this, otherwise maybe I wouldn’t be stand here,” Payer told Olympics.com, her smile as wide as the Alps behind her.
The Italian fans in Livigno had their own reason to celebrate. Lucia Dalmasso, at 28 and having recovered from tearing both ACLs, clinched the bronze in a dramatic small final against compatriot Elisa Caffont. The medal was historic: Italy’s first in women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom since Salt Lake City 2002 and the country’s first in either the men’s or women’s event in 24 years. Dalmasso was overcome with emotion, clutching her medal and letting the tears flow. “I keep looking at this medal and I’ll keep crying until this evening,” she admitted. “I cannot believe it. I’m touching and looking at the medal and still crying. When I tore both my ACLs I stopped believing, then I discovered the snowboard and I started to believe again. It’s been an incredible evolution of results, and I cannot wait for the next Olympics in four years.”
The quarter-finals were a turning point in the competition, as all three pre-race favorites were ousted in rapid succession. Maderova’s path to gold included a head-to-head against Germany’s Ramona Theresia Hofmeister, the PyeongChang 2018 bronze medallist, whom she defeated with poise and speed. Meanwhile, Caffont eliminated Japan’s Miki Tsubaki, the reigning world champion and current World Cup leader in parallel giant slalom. The field was wide open, and Maderova seized the moment with a blend of courage and composure that belied her age.
While the spotlight shone brightly on the medalists, the event also marked a poignant milestone for Japan’s Takeuchi Tomoka. At 42, Takeuchi made history by becoming the first woman in any sport to compete at seven consecutive Winter Olympics. Though she did not advance to the final from the elimination run, her career stands as a testament to longevity and resilience. “Today is my last race at my seventh Olympic Games,” Takeuchi announced. “I’ve been competing for 27 years and I have done my best today. Thank you so much for your support.” With her retirement at the end of the season, the snowboarding world bids farewell to a true pioneer.
The parallel giant slalom event at Milano Cortina 2026 was a showcase not just of athletic prowess but of perseverance, redemption, and the unpredictable nature of sport. Ledecká’s early exit was a reminder that even the greatest champions can falter, while Maderova’s golden run proved that new stars can rise when least expected. And for Payer and Dalmasso, the medals represented the culmination of years of hard work, setbacks, and unwavering belief.
Elsewhere at Livigno Snow Park, the men’s parallel giant slalom saw Austria’s Benjamin Karl claim his second straight Olympic gold, celebrating in exuberant fashion by tearing off his shirt and lying in the snow—a tribute to his idol, alpine skiing legend Hermann Maier. Karl, now 40 and planning to retire after the season, added a fourth Olympic medal to his collection, having previously won silver in Vancouver 2010, bronze in Sochi 2014, and gold at Beijing 2022. South Korea’s Sangkyum Kim took silver, while Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov edged Slovenia’s Tim Mastnak for bronze in a photo finish.
Ledecká’s story isn’t quite over in Milano Cortina. With the snowboard PGS now behind her, she’ll soon shift focus to the Alpine skiing super-G in Cortina—an event she famously won in PyeongChang. “I feel sorry for my team, but I did my best and that’s just what can happen in sports,” Ledecká told Reuters, her trademark determination undimmed by disappointment.
For the fans, the women’s snowboard parallel giant slalom final at Milano Cortina 2026 will be remembered as one for the ages. It was a day of upsets, breakthroughs, and tears of joy—proof that at the Olympics, anything really can happen. As the snow settles in Livigno, the world turns its eyes to the next chapter, eager to see what these remarkable athletes will do next.