Beijing 2022 - Mayer Takes Super G Gold, Ledecka Wins Snowboard Parallel GS

The second men’s Alpine skiing event of these Beijing 2022 Games was contested on Monday, with Austria’s downhill bronze-medal winner Matthias Mayer taking gold in the Super-G. Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the United States claimed the silver and Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde rounded out the podium with bronze.

In bright sunshine, Matthias Mayer managed a real dream ride on the difficult course in Yanqing, where the rest of the field had a hard time, especially in the lower part. With start number 13, the 31-year-old initially beat the Norwegian Kilde, who was in the lead at the time, by almost half a second, before the American Ryan Cochran-Siegle just missed the fastest time directly after Mayer.

“I was really relaxed today. I just concentrated on my ride and knew that everything I did in preparation would work. Just 4 hundredths ahead of Ryan is a really tight story. It was a difficult run, you had to attack instinctively and a lot had to come together. The ride today was very good.” Said Mayer

After downhill gold in Sochi in 2014 and super-G gold in Pyeongchang in 2018, this is Mayer's third gold medal in his career. Previously only ski legend Toni Sailer managed to do that in Austria. With a total of three gold medals and one bronze medal, Matthias Mayer is now Austria's most successful alpine ski racer at the Winter Olympics.

Heading down the track just after Mayer, Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA), could taste victory. Putting in a stellar run, the American finished only 0.04 seconds behind Mayer to claim his first-ever Olympic medal and his podium finish of the season.

His mother, Barbara Cochran, won the women's slalom gold in Sapporo in 1972."I've heard a lot of advice over the years from my mom that I've been able to channel that and it added up to today," Cochran-Siegle said. "I came out with risk and aggression and channelled my good skiing inside myself too. And all that together ended up...a pretty cool day."

"I knew that he was capable of doing it," Barbara Ann shared through tears. "...You just never know on a particular day whether or not that’s going to happen, so I’m so so proud."

"Part of me recognized I was skiing well, and I had to trust that and fight all the way for the finish," said Cochran-Siegle. "You dream of these moments, you see it in your mind and at times you have to put it away and just focus on the skiing which is what I was doing today. But to come down and see that I was in second, and that we were a ways ahead...I mean it was wild."

He said  "I was just trusting everything I've been through, and knowing I'm a good skier, trusting that and recognising there are so many good skiers this year, so to come here you have to put it on the line. I came out with risk and aggression and channelled my good skiing inside myself too. And all that together ended up like it's a pretty cool day."

"As athletes, you want to be able to perform on race day and that's half the battle. It's what's so fun about the sport and what's so challenging, just overcoming those adversities and keep going out and getting to experience a hill like this, the snow and really just embracing it. It makes these types of events so special."

"I always hold where I come from on my shoulders. I recognise there are so many little kids like what I was when I was a kid. I just hope I can, with this race today, give those kids inspiration to follow their dreams, just like I was able to do. It's for sure a special moment."

The second best Austrian today was Vincent Kriechmayr in fifth place. The reigning Super-G world champion showed a solid ride, the Upper Austrian was 0.34 seconds behind on bronze. Max Franz and Raphael Haaser both retired in the upper part of the race.

"I actually felt really good. I think I drove a very good race up to the middle station. On the steep slope you could have skied a bit more uncompromisingly and I might find a tenth or two there. But all in all I lost it on the bottom and just wasted too much time on the flat.”

For the snowboarders Ester Ledecka has done it again.

After becoming the first woman in history to win gold in two different disciplines at the same Olympics at PyeongChang 2018, she has returned to the top of the podium with a thrilling win in the women's snowboard parallel giant slalom final.

Ledecka's legend began to take shape at the last Olympics four years ago, when she stunned the world by winning both Alpine super-G and snowboard parallel giant slalom gold. Now the 26-year-old is continuing to write history with gold at Beijing 2022.

Ledecka lined up in the big final against Daniela Ulbing, who had been impressive throughout the qualifying rounds. However, the Austrian's DNF in what had been a closely-fought final left Ledecka to cross the finish line alone and take the Olympic title for the second time in as many Olympics.

The bronze medal was won by Slovenia's Gloria Kotnik who beat the Netherlands' Michelle Dekker, after the latter failed to finish her run.