Athletes

After she won the giant slalom at the Fédération Internationale de Ski World Cup event at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, on Dec. 21, 2005, Janica Kostelic went on to win at least once in all the FIS Alpine World Cup disciplines—also known as the Alpine Grand Slam—within just 36 days; in January 2006, she won the downhill and super-G races at Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, the super combined race at St. Moritz in Switzerland, and then on Feb. 5, the slalom race at the Ofterschwang World Cup in Germany. At the Olympic Winter Games, Kostelic won gold in Alpine combined and captured silver in super G. In Turin, she became the most successful female skier with four Olympic gold medals over two Olympic Games (2002, 2006). During the World Cup season (December 2005-March 2006) Kostelic won nine titles and placed in the top three in 17 World Cup events. She also extended her series of wins in the combined to eight and her series of podium places in the FIS World Cup to 11 races. With the highest number of points (1,970) in overall World Cup Ladies' classification ever, Kostelic won the third big Crystal Globe in her career as overall female Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup Winner for 2005-2006, adding to that success also a small World Cup Crystal Globe in slalom. She received the 2006 Laureus Award, a sports Oscar for best sportswoman of the year.