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Kostelic wins record fourth Alpine medal, third gold
By Rob Gloster
AP Sports Writer
PARK CITY — Janica Kostelic won her record fourth Alpine medal of the Salt Lake City Games in Friday's giant slalom, joining Jean-Claude Killy and Toni Sailer as the only skiers with three golds at one Olympics.
The 20-year-old Croat, who already had gold medals in the slalom and the combined event and a silver in the super giant slalom, was not considered among the favorites in the giant slalom.
But she blew away the rest of the field by 1.32 seconds, taking a half-second lead on the morning run and then building her margin in the afternoon.
Kostelic finished the two runs in 2 minutes, 30.01 seconds. Sweden's Anja Paerson won silver in 2:31.33, adding to the bronze she won in Wednesday's slalom. World champion Sonja Nef of Switzerland was third.
Kostelic became the first skier to win four Alpine medals at an Olympics.
Five men and five women, including Kostelic, have won three Alpine medals at an Olympics. There were only three Alpine events until 1988, when the Super G debuted and the combined event was reintroduced after a 40-year hiatus.
"It's great, but someone is going to break that record soon. The next Olympics, maybe," Kostelic said. "I just tried to stay calm, because I had three medals before this. I had nothing to be nervous about."
Kostelic, who won Wednesday's slalom in a heavy snow on a rutty course, won the giant slalom in spring-like conditions on a well-groomed slope.
"I wonder if she's human. She's the greatest right now," Paerson said. "She's so mentally tough, nothing bothers her."
Kostelic is the only Croatian to win a Winter Olympics medal, but that distinction may not last long. Her older brother, Ivica, is a favorite — along with Bode Miller — in the men's slalom on Saturday.
The Kostelic siblings are coached by their father, Ante, and the entire family made huge sacrifices for skiing.
Since their embattled homeland has only two small ski resorts, they traveled around Europe to compete in junior races — often sleeping in tents or in the car, living on salami and pickle sandwiches.
In the Croatian capital of Zagreb, screams of joy came out of downtown apartments and shots were fired in the air as Kostelic won.
"It's unbelievable! She's amazing, I'm so proud of her," said Zagreb resident Nevena Morandic, wiping away tears of joy. "She's the best thing our country has."
After her victory, about 20 Croatians joined Kostelic for an impromptu dance in the finish area. They kneeled and formed a chorus line behind Kostelic, swaying to "That's the Way (I Like It)" over the loudspeakers.
Kostelic, who missed the first half of the World Cup season while recovering from three offseason operations on her left knee, ranks only 30th in the giant slalom on the World Cup circuit this season.
She has never placed higher than fourth in a World Cup giant slalom.
After finishing, Kostelic kissed a small Croatian flag and then got a high-five and a hug from Paerson.
The sharply sloping course and tight turns forced the skiers to fling their bodies from side to side as they raced down the course on a balmy day with temperatures in the mid-40s.
Kostelic won a medal in every event in which she competed. She did not participate in the downhill.
The top U.S. skier in Friday's race was Kristina Koznick, who finished 17th. The U.S. women were shut out of Alpine medals here for the first time since the 1988 Calgary Games. The only top-10 finish in Alpine by a U.S. woman was Lindsey Kildow's sixth place in the combined event.
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February 22, 2002
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