Kostelic caps extraordinary month with French success
Source: Agencies |
February 1, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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IVICA Kostelic took another step towards the men's alpine skiing World Cup when he won the super-combined crystal globe in Chamonix, France, on Sunday.
The Croat won the three major combined events held this season, in Wengen, Kitzbuehel, and finally on the French resort's Kandahar piste, to bag his first trophy of the season.
Given his advance in the overall and slalom World Cup standings, more trophies are likely to come his way in the next two months.
In the meantime, the 31-year-old Croat crowned an extraordinary January with seven victories and two podium places.
"This is much more than I expected and to win the super-combined globe is a real achievement.
"In the past I always missed out because I was ill or injured. This has a lot of significance to me," he told reporters.
His victory, in a combined time of two minutes and 57.12 seconds, was all the more important as he shared the podium with compatriot Natko Zrncic-Dim, who finished 0.51 adrift.
Rising power
It was not the first time the two compatriots have been on a World Cup podium but it was the first one-two for the rising power of men's skiing.
"It's a special feeling to share this with Natko especially as there are two other (Croatian) guys in the top 30," said Kostelic.
His exceptional haul in the last month handed Janica Kostelic's brother a 475-point lead over Swiss Silvan Zurbriggen in the World Cup standings and he is now all set to emulate his sister by becoming the first Croat to win the big globe.
"Once again I don't want to think about it yet. I just want to enjoy these seven victories which are already quite an achievement," he said.
Norway's Aksel-Lund Svindal, the 2007 and 2009 World Cup winner, said his rival would be hard to catch.
"I won my two globes on the last day so I'm not going to give up. But it's going to be very hard," he said.
The Croat won the three major combined events held this season, in Wengen, Kitzbuehel, and finally on the French resort's Kandahar piste, to bag his first trophy of the season.
Given his advance in the overall and slalom World Cup standings, more trophies are likely to come his way in the next two months.
In the meantime, the 31-year-old Croat crowned an extraordinary January with seven victories and two podium places.
"This is much more than I expected and to win the super-combined globe is a real achievement.
"In the past I always missed out because I was ill or injured. This has a lot of significance to me," he told reporters.
His victory, in a combined time of two minutes and 57.12 seconds, was all the more important as he shared the podium with compatriot Natko Zrncic-Dim, who finished 0.51 adrift.
Rising power
It was not the first time the two compatriots have been on a World Cup podium but it was the first one-two for the rising power of men's skiing.
"It's a special feeling to share this with Natko especially as there are two other (Croatian) guys in the top 30," said Kostelic.
His exceptional haul in the last month handed Janica Kostelic's brother a 475-point lead over Swiss Silvan Zurbriggen in the World Cup standings and he is now all set to emulate his sister by becoming the first Croat to win the big globe.
"Once again I don't want to think about it yet. I just want to enjoy these seven victories which are already quite an achievement," he said.
Norway's Aksel-Lund Svindal, the 2007 and 2009 World Cup winner, said his rival would be hard to catch.
"I won my two globes on the last day so I'm not going to give up. But it's going to be very hard," he said.
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