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Ivica Kostelić makes history in the Super-combined event at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10521/1/-Ivica-Kosteliae-makes-history-in-the-Super-combined-event-at-the-2014-Sochi-Winter-Olympic-Games.html
By David Byler
Published on 02/16/2014
 
Ivica Kostelić wins the Silver for Croatia at Sochi on Valentine's Day 2014 becoming the first person to win three silver medals in three consecutive Winter Olympic Games. This is his fourth Silver medal in the Olympics.  Up until the present competition in Sochi, Ivica had won three Olympic medals, three medals in the World Championships, and 59 podium finishes in the World cup including 26 victories with 4 small crystal globes and one large globe in 2011.

Ivica Kostelić Wins the Silver for Croatia in Sochi Olympic Games Valentine's Day 2014



In each of the last three consecutive Winter Olympic Games, Ivica Kostelić has won a Silver Medal. No one else has ever won Silver Medals one after the other before. His Valentine's Day Medal is Ivica's fourth Silver medal in the Winter Olympics. Up until the present competition in Sochi, Ivica has won three Olympic medals, three medals in the World Championships, and 59 podium finishes in the World cup including 26 victories with 4 small crystal globes and one large globe in 2011.

Ivica and his sister Janica live in Zagreb with their mother Marica and father Ante. Ante Kostelić is their manager and coach. Janica Kostelić is a tough younger sister to keep up with. Among other victories, she is the only woman to have ever won four gold medals at the Winter Olympics. Back on New Year's day she wrote in her blog about her older brother: "Hopefully Ivica will also improve his ski racing form in January, because so far this season he was not skiing on a very high level."

"Always give your best," is Ivica's motto and his approach to everything he does. Aquarius Records HR gives us a glimpse into Ivica's passion for life with this recording of Ivica jamming with Tomislav Goluban and Little Pidgeons ForHill Blues on "Brzi vlak" (fast train).




There's no doubt that Ivica Kostelić was a fast train coming down the slopes on Valentines day this year as Janica's hopes for her brother came true and he brought home the tenth medal for his family and the eleventh for Croatia in these games.  It was all Switzerland's Sandro Viletta could do to edge Kostelić out of the gold by .34 seconds.  Italy's Christof Innerhoffer trailed Ivica by .47 seconds to get the bronze.




Ivica's father Ante was selected by lottery to set the course for Friday's run. The course he set featured a "Royal Flush" - four gates set straight down the slope allowing skiers to build up speed before entering a sharper turn.  The course was steep and difficult.  The USA's Andrew Weibrecht and France's Alexis Pinurault and ten more of the forty-six skiers who started the course failed to finish or were disqualified.




According to the Associate Press, Kostelić said "at first, when I came into the finish, I was a bit disappointed, but silver is good. ... People on the podium have changed, and I stayed there. The Zagreb City Assembly, The Mayor of Zagreb, the Prime Minister and the President of Croatia have already sent their congratulations to Kostelić for his victory. Don't you know that Janica is proud of her older brother today? All Croatians are very proud of him!

Already some of the sports writers are speculating that Kostelić may retire after the Sochi games. On HTV Kostelić said: "It's hard, health is not so good. Spite of all the medicines, I felt my knee. Already three seasons fight, I do not know, it's hard." The key words are "I do not know" so we'll have to see what he does in the future.  Whatever he decides to do, Ivica Kostelić has already earned a place for himself and his family in the history of Croatian sports.





SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 15: (L-R) Silver medalist Ivica Kostelic of Croatia, gold medalist Sandro Viletta of Switzerland and bronze medalist Christof Innerhofer of Italy celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Men's Super Combined on day 8 of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Medals Plaza on February 15, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Ivica and Janica Kostelić are brother and sister. Janica is the greatest skier among women in the history of skiing. The following video shows us their joint path to sports history, under supervision of their father Ante Kostelić.


 


Janica Kostelic - Most Successful Female Skier Ever





  Formatted for CROWN by   David Byler
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