Czechia has its first gold medal of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics!

Snowboarder Zuzana Maděrová won the women’s parallel slalom, confirming her rise among the sport’s top riders. The 22-year-old secured the biggest result of her career on her Olympic debut.

The final placed her against Austria’s Sabine Payer. Maděrová chose the blue course again. The start was tense. She briefly lost balance but stayed upright. From the middle section onward she built a clear lead. She crossed the line 0.83 seconds ahead.

Italy’s Lucia Dalmasso finished third. The podium confirmed a strong European presence in the discipline.

Maděrová entered the knockout rounds in good form. She had qualified second earlier in the day. Only teammate Ester Ledecká posted a faster time in qualification. Ledecká was chasing a third straight Olympic title in the event but went out in the quarterfinals after a mistake against Payer.

Maděrová’s route to the final was steady. In the round of 16 she beat Germany’s Cheyenne Loch by 0.36 seconds. In the quarterfinals she advanced after Germany’s Ramona Hofmeister crashed mid-course and failed to finish.

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The semifinal brought a rematch with local rider Elisa Caffont, who had beaten Maděrová in a World Cup race in Davos in December 2025. This time the Czech rider led from the opening gates. Her advantage grew through the run, reaching nearly half a second at the finish.

The result continues Czech success in Olympic snowboard parallel events, though attention before the race focused mainly on Ledecká.

Maděrová’s win instead delivered the headline moment and the Czech team’s first medal of these Games.

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