Illustrative photo – Ceremonial announcement of the Army Athlete of the Year poll, October 27, 2022, Prague. Skier and snowboarder Ester Ledecká won the poll.
Prague – Three-time Olympic champion Ester Ledecká should start next week in the World Cup competitions in parallel disciplines on snowboard. The Skiers' Association of the Czech Republic (SLČR) reported on her return to the racing slopes after protracted treatment of a broken collarbone. After long negotiations, his snowboard section concluded a representative contract with Ledecka.
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The Czech star of winter sports lost the world championships in snowboarding and skiing due to a summer fracture of the collarbone and subsequent two operations. But she did not write the whole season. On Wednesday, March 15, she should complete the parallel giant slalom in the Slovenian resort of Rogla, three days later the World Cup in parallel disciplines will culminate in the slalom in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
On snowboard, these will be her first starts since last year's Olympic Games in Beijing, where she defended the gold medal from PyeongChang 2018. Otherwise, she last appeared on the competitive slopes in March 2022 on skis at the final of the World Cup in Alpine skiing in Méribel.
In the summer, she fell off an electric skateboard and injured herself. After the first operation, her collarbone healed poorly, so she had to have a second surgery in November. At the beginning of February, the twenty-seven-year-old Czech started training on the board, but she did not make it to the World Championship in Bakuriani.
At least she will participate in the World Cup final. Also thanks to the fact that she signed a representative contract. “As is usually the case in similar cases, the negotiations were complicated, which also corresponded to the time-consuming nature of the entire process. The point of view of both parties differed at certain moments and developed over time. However, we are understandably happy that we managed to find the necessary consensus, when both the parties are satisfied,” said Miroslav Schimmer, chairman of the SLČR snowboarding section.
The contract is concluded for the entire Olympic cycle, i.e. until 2026. “I look forward to seeing Ester again on the competition hill after her injury, and I wish her good luck in the remaining two races of the season,” added Schimmer.
Ledecká will not compete on skis until the end of the peak international season. That is why she has not yet signed a representative contract with the section of alpine disciplines. It has the same text as the snowboarding contract, it differs only in the sport, the union said.
