2011Ivica Kostelic – Alpine Ski World Cup Winner (2010/2011) - Set

Motif: figure of Ivica Kostelić Ivica’s Career: Way to the Top Best Croatian skier Ivica Kostelić began his ski way to the top of the World Cup with his first appearance in the competition on 25th October 1998 in giant slalom in Sölden (Austria). Almost exactly one month before his 20th birthday he did not succeed in qualifying for the second run. His career - constantly marked by severe injuries of his knee, preventing him to be the real favourite for winning the total World Cup, will be clearly marked by his candidature for the position nine seasons later. For the first time in the season 2007/08 he managed to take the 6th place, and in the next two seasons the 4th and the 5th place in the total ranking of the World Cup. However, also the seasons 2001/02 and 2002/03 Ivica finished as the 7th in the total ranking of the World Cup. Though, at that time it was primarily due to the points won in slalom, which secured him in the season 2001/02 also the winning of the Small Crystal Globe and in the following season the 2nd position in the Slalom World Cup. Just the season 2001/02 brought Ivica also the first win in his career in the World Cup. On 25th November 2001 in Aspen (USA) Ivica celebrated the victory in slalom with the “legendary“ start number 64(!). From this season remembered are also Ivica’s victories in Wengen (Switzerland) and Flachau (Austria). In the next season he was the winner also in Bormio (Italy), Sestrier (Italy) and Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) and a year later also in Madonna di Campiglio (ITA). Injuries, difficult comebacks, bad physical condition and problems with equipment left Ivica without win in the World Cup from December 2003 until December 2006 and a super combination in Reitalm (Austria) - his first non-slalom victory. Still, also during these three years he achieved three slalom placements among the top three. In the period from the season 2007/08 until today Ivica reaches his top form, proved by 27 „top three“ rankings in the World Ski Cup races whereof - until the final competition in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) in 2011, there are ten victories, all of them in slalom and (super)combination but there is also one Super G victory in Kitzbühel (Austria). Apart from his successes in the World Cup, crowned by the total victory in the season 2010/11 Ivica Kostelić is a proud winner of three Olympic silver medals - one in combination in Turin in 2006 and the other two in slalom and super combination in Vancouver 2010. In 2003 in St. Moritz Ivica Kostelić became the Slalom World Champion. In the two historic days of Croatian skiing on 15 February 2003 Janica Kostelić took her slalom gold and Ivica joined her with the same success the following day. World championships also brought Ivica Kostelić a bronze medal in Super G in 2011 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Germany). Matija Kralj