Janica KOSTELIC

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Janica Kostelić was born on January 5th, 1982, in Zagreb, Croatia. Being with her older brother Ivica part of a "family ski project", led by her father Ante, already at a young age Janica was able to show great skills and potential on her skis. Great childrens' results were certainly a sign, a sign of how far she could go. And all of this starting basically "from nothing", with no serious organized logistics or financial support at an early age. As a junior ski racer, Janica has competed only in one FIS Junior World Ski Championships, in Megeve/Chamonix/St. Gervais (FRA) 1998. And was able to finish her Super G race in 3rd, her downhill race in 6th, and her giant slalom race in 7th place. A little bit ironically, 12th place was her worst placing at the Championships, and it came in her slalom race - in a discipline that will, together with Combined, become her "No. 1" discipline in the years to come. In slalom Janica was at the end able to score 20 FIS World Cup victories, in 2002 she became olympic slalom gold medalist and in 2003 and 2005 slalom world champion. In 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City (USA) Janica took gold medals in slalom, giant slalom, and Combined, adding to those successes even a silver medal in Super G. Her career total of olympic medals went to six with another gold medal in Combined and another silver medal in Super G she was able to win at Olympic Winter Games Torino (ITA) 2006. Alpine skiing world champion Janica was also in Combined in St. Moritz (SUI) 2003, and again in Combined, but also in downhill at Bormio/Sta Caterina (ITA) 2005. And on the FIS World Cup tour she has finished her alpine racing career with a total of 30 victories. Big Crystal Globe as overall winner of the FIS World Cup tour Janica has taken three times, in the years 2001, 2003 and 2006. In 2001, 2003 and 2006 she was also able to secure a title of FIS World Cup winner in slalom and through her whole career was very dominant also in FIS World Cup Combined rankings. Janica Kostelić has in her career made overall 194 FIS World Cup starts, starting from January 23rd, 1998 and a Super G race in Cortina d'Ampezzo (ITA) and finishing with March 18, 2006 and giant slalom race in Are (SWE). Struggling through her marvelous career also with some serious knee injuries, but also with some illnesses, Janica Kostelić has decided to finish her ski racing career at an age of 24.