Czech snowboarder Maderova lands shock Olympic parallel giant slalom win

The 22-year-old's unexpected triumph in Livigno on Sunday ensured the gold medal heads to the Czech Republic for the third straight time after Ledecka's triumphs in 2018 and 2022. Ledecka had appeared on course to seal a unique treble at the Milan-Cortina Games before losing narrowly at the quarter-final stage. But Maderova stepped into the breach, romping to a comfortable victory over Ledecka's conqueror Sabine Payer by 0.83sec in the final, watched by a gaggle of her family and friends as well as Czech President Petr Pavel.