Ski Racing - January 16, 2012

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ZAGREB

here,” he told reporters. “I like these conditions. ... I like these bumpy slopes. [But] It was not easy. Have you heard the crowd when Ivica was skiing? You could tell who is the real hero here.” Hirscher became the fifth men’s winner at Zagreb in five races; and the 11th different skier to reach a Snow Queen podium. Only Kostelic and Olympic gold medalist Guiliano Razzoli have made two podiums at the site.

“I hope,” said Kostelic, “in the years to come I will maintain this level and the curse will be broken. In the last five years others on the podium have changed, while I am still among them.” The Americans, with four in the final heat, struggled. Will Brandenburg straddled about a third of the way down the course when the damp snow directed his ski a little too sharply. Jimmy Cochran skied well before getting caught up just before the finish and crashed, sliding on his belly down the finish pitch. Nolan Kasper skied to survive and dropped back to finish 25th. Ted Ligety had been the only skier with two digits on his bib to break into the top six of the first run, and took risks at every given opportunity in the second. The small errors compounded as he fought down the hill, winding up tied with Canadian Michael Janyk in 14th place and exactly three seconds off Hirscher’s two-run time.

Organizers founded the Snow Queen race in 2005 to give the Croate fans a chance to see their biggest alpine star ever — three time overall champion Janica Kostelic and Ivica’s big sister — win a race at home. She never did. Maybe next year they will sing “Lijepa nasa domovino,” or “Our Beautiful Homeland,” at the awards ceremony.