Janica Kostelić

**Janica Kostelić** (born 5 January 1982) be Croatian former alpine ski racer. She be four-time Olympic gold medalist. For addition to de Olympics, she win five gold medals for de World Championships. Insyd World Cup competition, she win thirty individual races, three overall titles, three slalom titles, den four combined titles. Kostelic ein accomplishments insyd professional skiing lead sam commentators, writers, den fellow ski racers make dem regard am as de greatest female ski racer of all time.

## Biography
Kostelić be de woman per wey win four gold medals insyd alpine skiing for de Winter Olympics (insyd 2002 den 2006), den de woman per wey win three alpine skiing gold medals insyd one Olympics (2002).

Na Kostelić be de World Cup overall champion insyd 2001, 2003 den 2006. For 15 January 2006, Kostelić cam turn de third woman insyd World Cup history (after Swede Pernilla Wiberg den Austrian Petra Kronberger) make she win World Cup races insyd all of de sport ein five disciplines. For 5 February 2006 Kostelić cam turn de second female skier (after Petra Kronberger) make she win all five disciplines insyd one season.

Insyd de summer of 2006, she decide she no go compete insyd de 2007 season, due to chronic knee den back pain. Na she endure ten knee surgeries den thyroid surgery during ein career. Dey follow year away from competition, Kostelić announce ein retirement from racing insyd April 2007, for just 25 years old.

Since 2016, Kostelić be de State Secretary for Science, Education and Sports insyd de Croatian Government.

## Career

### Early years
Dem born am insyd Zagreb, Croatia, then part of Yugoslavia, into winter sports family, na Kostelić ein poppie Ante sanso be ein trainer. Ein older bro Ivica be ski racer for ein own right insyd, de 2011 overall World Cup champion. She start dey skii for de age of three wey she begin dey train for nine years old, den quickly cam turn successful den win several junior competitions.

For de age of 16, na dem select Kostelić give de Croatian team for de 1998 Winter Olympics insyd Nagano. Na ein best result be 8th place insyd de combined. She compete insyd all five disciplines. She win ein first World Cup slalom insyd December 1999. Kostelić then suffer knee ligament damage wich keep am out of competition til late 2000. She win de World Cup overall title dat 2001 season plus eight further victories.

### 2002 Winter Olympics
For de 2002 Winter Olympics she win three gold medals den silver, de first Winter Olympic medals ever for athlete wey komot Croatia. No oda female alpine racer ever win four medals anaa three gold medals for single Olympics.

Kostelić choose say she no go compete insyd de downhill den concentrate for de combined top. She perform well insyd de downhill run wey she then win de gold medal after de two-run slalom. She then win silver medal insyd de super-G, just behind Daniela Ceccarelli. Na de next race be de slalom, for which Kostelić win ein second gold medal, narrowly she beat Laure Péquegnot. Na ein final victory be insyd de giant slalom, substantial 1.32 seconds ahead of silver medalist Anja Pärson.

### Later career
Kostelić win de World Cup overall title again insyd 2003, buh she miss de season wey dey follow secof knee surgery insyd October, ein fourth insyd ten months, den thyroid surgery insyd January 2004. Dis cause 2004 make e be de year per from 1998 to 2006 wey dem no recognize am as "Croatian Sportswoman of the Year."

After more dan 18 months aways from competition, she return to World Cup competition for Sölden wey she fini eighth insyd de giant slalom insyd October 2004. For de World Championships insyd February 2005, she win three gold medals, despite she dey insyd ill health. She win de downhill den successfully defend ein world titles insyd slalom den combined.

Insyd de 2006 season, Kostelić win de World Cup overall title for de third time, buh she sanso dey insyd Top 5 for all 4 disciplines insyd, wey dey include number 1 insyd slalom. She win ein first World Cup races insyd giant slalom (2), super-G den downhill insyd 2006.

For de 2006 Winter Olympics insyd Torino she win gold medal insyd women's alpine combined. Na dat be ein fourth Olympic gold medal, wey dey make am de most successful female skier insyd de history of de Olympic Games. Na she set dis record for 18 February 2006, only half hour after Norway ein Kjetil André Aamodt, winner of de men's super-G, cam turn de first Alpine skier insyd men's competition make he win four Olympic gold medals.

She sanso cam turn de first alpine skier make she win de "Sportswoman of de Year" award for de Laureus World Sports Awards insyd 2006, for part for ein accomplishment of winning races insyd each discipline during de year.

Due to recurring injuries, Kostelić no compete since de conclusion of de 2006 season. As expected, she announce ein retirement year later for 19 April 2007, dey cite persistent pain from ein injuries.

### World Cup
She wni 3 overall World Cup titles: 2001, 2003 den 2006. Insyd 2005 na she be second overall, just three points behind winner Anja Pärson – de smallest difference between 1st den 2nd place insyd women's World Cup history. (Insyd 2011, Maria Riesch beat Lindsey Vonn insyd de overall world cup by margin of three points as well.)

Kostelić sanso win de slalom season title three times, de same years dat she win de overall titles. She sanso go win de season trophy for de combined discipline four times (2001, 2003, 2005, 2006), buh na dem no award de discipline trophy for de combined to women during ein career, dem add am insyd 2007 per.

She win total of 30 World Cup races, wey dey include at least one insyd every discipline: 20 insyd slalom, 6 insyd combined, 2 insyd giant slalom, 1 insyd super-G, den 1 insyd downhill.

## World Cup results

### Season titles

* 6 titles – (3 overall, 3 slalom) plus 4 combined *(unofficial)*

### Season standings

### Race victories

* 30 wins – (1 DH, 1 SG, 2 GS, 20 SL, 6 K)

## World Championship results

## Olympic results

## Ein life matter
For 1 January 2019, Kostelić give birth to ein first kiddie.

## References


## External links
Wikimedia Commons get media wey relate to ******.
* Janica Kostelić at FIS (alpine)
* Janica Kostelić at Olympics.com
* Janica Kostelić at Olympedia
* Janica Kostelić at Ski-DB Alpine Ski Database 
* Official website