Janica Kostelić , born the January 5th 1982 with Zagreb, is a alpine skier Croatian. Multiple Olympic champion and of the world, victorious several crystal balls, it can be regarded as one of the best skiers of all times.

She is the sister of Ivica Kostelić also skier.

Career

It disputes its first test of World cup in 1998 on super-G organized with Cortina d' Ampezzo in Italy. In 1999, 17 years old, it gains its first championship victory of the world at the time of a compound with Sankt Anton. In 2001 at 19 years, it gains its first World cup while gaining the classification of the slalom and compound. In 2002, in spite of one season wasted by a wound with the knee, it returns for the Olympic Games and becomes the first woman to remove three gold medals during the same Olympiads, while being the first representing of the Croatia to be appeared in an Olympic prize list.

In 2003, it becomes double champion of the world of compound and super G, and gains the World cup again. After having made a dead end over the season 2004 because of recurring wounds, it returns even stronger in 2005 where at the time of the championships of the world, it gains three gold medals in slalom, descent and combined but in the race with the world cup behind the Swedish Anja Pärson is inclined (only rival at the level of Croatian).

2006 is one Olympic year and the motivation of Janica is always also high, but health issues will prevent it from being expressed freely and will bring back only two medals of which one of compound gold (it preserves its title in this discipline) and one of money in Super G whereas its ambition was to gain all the tests, as consolation it is the first skier in the world to have gained 4 Olympic gold medals in its career. In parallel it gains for the third time the world cup with the general with a total of points of 1970 points (record), gains 9 victories on the whole and especially was essential once in the year in each test (descent, slalom, giant slalom, super G and compound) that only Petra Kronberger had not realized before, moreover it imposes themselves for the fourth time in the compound world cup and thus equalizes the record of the Suisse Brigitte Ortli. In August 2006, she announces that she will not take share with the first tests of the world cup with an aim of resting, to look after herself and to return with less preoccupations with a health but its ambitions remain intact. Indeed, old that 24 years, Janica still has the possibility of beating new records. However, the April 19th 2007, it announces its retirement because of its many wounds.

Prize list

Olympic Games

Championships of the world

  • Championships of the world of 2003 to Saint-Moritz (Swiss):
    • Gold medal in Slalom.
    • Gold medal out of Compound.
  • Championships of the world of 2005 to Bormio (Italy):
    • Gold medal in Descent.
    • Gold medal in Slalom.
    • Gold medal out of Compound.

World cup

  • Victorious of general classification in 2001 and 2003 and 2006.
  • Victorious of the classification of Slalom in 2001, 2003 and 2006.
  • Victorious of the Compound classification in 2001, 2003 and 2005 and 2006.
  • 30 successes in race (20 in Slalom, 6 out of Compound, 2 in Giant slalom, 1 in Super G, 1 in Descent).
  • 55 podiums out of the 194 departures which it took during its career.

Season per season

(State at March 18th, 2006)

External bonds

  1. official site

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