Ester Ledecka Wins Parallel Giant Slalom in Return to Snowboard World Cup
Ester Ledecka ended a 14-month World Cup snowboard hiatus by winning the women’s parallel giant slalom in Simonhöhe, Austria. The Czech rider stretched her personal run to six victories in seven starts.
Ledecka Ends 14-Month Absence With Dominant Win
Ledecka topped qualifying, edged last season’s crystal-globe holder Miki Tsubaki in the semi-final, then beat Dutch racer Michelle Dekker in the final. The result is her 20th PGS tour win and came four days after she took an Alpine-skiing Super-G podium in Tarvisio, Italy. “Two podiums in five days in two different sports—pretty good week,” she said, crediting her coaches for the quick switch between disciplines.
Dekker, Maderová Complete Women’s Podium
Dekker, 29, earned her second runner-up finish of the 2025-26 season. Czech teammate Zuzana Maderová beat Tsubaki in the small final for bronze. Overall World Cup leader Elisa Caffont of Italy crashed in the opening knockout round, leaving the season title open with three races left before Milano-Cortina 2026.
Fischnaller Outsmarts Obmann for Men’s Title
Italy’s Roland Fischnaller, 45, used a quick gate exit and clean line to deny Austria’s Fabian Obmann in front of a home crowd. The win is the veteran’s third of the winter and tightens the standings; he trails new leader Aaron March by 47 points. “His legs are faster,” Fischnaller said of Obmann, “but experience counts when the course is this grippy.”
March Reclaims Yellow Bib With Third-Place Run
Aaron March won the small final against Korea’s Sang-ho Lee, vaulting the Italian into first place on the PGS leaderboard with 410 points, seven ahead of Austria’s Benjamin Karl. March also took the tour’s orange overall jersey, setting up a direct duel in next weekend’s Slovenia round.
Simonhöhe Race Sets Up Olympic Tune-Up
Saturday’s mixed-team event closes the Simonhöhe stop before the circuit heads to Rogla, Slovenia, the final World Cup before February’s Milano-Cortina Games. Riders praised the freshly groomed, slightly banked slope—conditions that mirror the Olympic course under construction in nearby Livigno. Local favorite Sabine Payer, who skipped last week’s Bansko races to train here, called the venue “perfect rehearsal snow.”
What to Watch Next
- Rogla World Cup on 8 March—last chance for athletes to lock in Olympic seeding
- Start-list releases; Ledecka’s two-sport calendar could force late changes
- Live timing splits to spot riders who handle flat-light, spring-slush snow like that forecast for Italy
- FIS app for real-time bracket updates during knockout rounds
Source: FIS Snowboard World Cup tour reports, 5 March 2026