Ester Ledecká has Shohei Ohtani-like skills. But that doesn’t mean the IOC can move mountains for her. Photo: Red Bull
February 8, 2026 at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo could be one marathon day for Ester Ledecká. As it stands right now, the two-sport Czech Olympian is slated to start off in a women’s downhill skiing race at 11:30 a.m. at Tofana Alpine Skiing Center in the Italian Dolomites. That same day she’s also set to compete in a snowboarding event at Livigno Snow Park in Northern Italy’s Livigno Alps.
Under normal circumstances, a two-sport athlete is accustomed to busy days like this, but there’s one caveat that will throw a wrench into Ledecká’s plans of suiting up for both: the venues are four hours apart. In all likelihood, it’s just not possible.
The simplest solution for Ledecká — or at least the less heartbreaking one — would be for the International Olympic Committee to adjust the schedule. It would relieve the gold medalist from having to choose between the two sports in the upcoming games, so she’s asked her country’s Olympic committee to request a schedule change on her behalf. Without a change, she’ll be faced with a tough decision of picking just one sport after the unprecedented accomplishment of qualifying for both. Ledecká doesn’t just do it for the novelty, either. She’s one of the best athletes in alpine racing history, winning gold in skiing Super G in 2018 at PyeongChang, and another in snowboard parallel giant slalom, becoming the first woman to win gold in two separate disciplines in the same Olympics.
The 2026 schedule was released last week and a look at the document reveals the depth of the organizational logistics. With so many venues, hundreds of athletes to account for, and dozens of competitions running at any given time, it might be difficult for the IOC to make many changes.
Still, the chance to promote an all-time, two-sport athlete in the Games is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. The IOC definitely has something to gain out of helping Ledecká out.
“It’s like someone has broken your dream,” Ledecká said after the 2026 Olympic schedule was released. “So please change it. Please, please, please. It’s my biggest dream to do both. I can create a great show for people.”
Ledecká has a rare chance to three-peat in Italy. At the 2022 Games in Beijing, she won her second gold in snowboarding parallel giant slalom.
