PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Czech Ester Ledecka looked set for an astonishing gold medal in the women’s super-G at the Winter Olympics on Saturday after stunning the title favourites with a blistering run in bib number 26.
The 22-year-old, who also competes in snowboard events, tore up the bottom of the Jeongseon course to clock 1:21.11 and knock defending champion Anna Veith out of the gold medal position by one hundredth of a second.
Veith (1.21.12) had looked like becoming the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in Olympic super-G but will settle for silver providing there are no shocks among the back-runners in the 45-strong field.
Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather was set for bronze in 1:21.22 after she had earlier edged Swiss World Cup leader Lara Gut off the top of the timesheets by the slenderest of margins in a thrilling race.
American Lindsey Vonn went out first but will not win a medal after making a mistake before the final jump, skiing wide into soft snow and finishing in 1:21.49.
The 33-year-old will have another chance to become the oldest female medallist in Olympic Alpine skiing in her favoured downhill event on the same mountain next week. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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