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Zagreb (CRO), 06.10.2006.
Janica Kosteliæ - temporary career break
Janica Kosteliæ has today announced her plans for the future, considering her alpine skiing sports career.
About 100 reporters were present today at The Westin Zagreb Hotel, on a press conference given by Croatia’s and world’s current best female alpine skier, Janica Kosteliæ. Croatian Radio Television (HTV) brought live coverage of the press conference to 11 European and world states.
Opening word of the press conference was held by the president of Croatian Ski Association, Mr. Sreæko Ferenèak, who emphasized the significance of Janica Kosteliæ for sports in Croatia in general.
After Mr. Ferenèak, the spokesman for the CroSki, Mr. Ozren Müller, thanked everybody for coming to the conference, giving after that his word to Janica Kosteliæ personally.
Precise and direct as always, Janica confirmed she is to miss the ski season 2006/07, mostly due to known health problems that followed her through her entire career, due to problems with her back and her knees.
She said also, though to the career break, that she is planing to definitely stay around in the world of alpine skiing, she still loves very, very much, and that she'll stay in touch with everything connected to FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, as spectator and cheering also, naturally, for her brother Ivica, and other Croatian female alpine skiers, such as Nika Fleiss or Ana Jelu¹iæ.
Before the season 2007/08, she'll again rethink about the possible activation of her racing career, and on Snow Queen Trophy 2007 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup race in Zagreb/Sljeme in January next year, she is planing to be present as hostess, and maybe also as the forrunner and moral back-up for younger Croatian skiers.
As moral back-up she could in this season also visit active Croatian skiers in their training camps, and maybe also on some FIS World Cup races.
The director of Croatian national alpine ski team, Mr. Vedran Pavlek, emphasized that Janica's team will constantly stay on hold, waiting for the possible signal of Janica wanting to activate her racing career.
He thanked Janica for everything she has given to Croatian alpine skiing, emphasizing also that he expects still in season 2006/07 good results from other Croatian skiers, especially from Ivica Kosteliæ, Nika Fleiss and Ana Jelu¹iæ, that are all members of slalom top 15 in FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup.
He also said that there are also other young Croatian skiers still coming, mentioning names like Matea Ferk, Natko Zrnèiæ-Dim or Sofija Novoseliæ, and promissing also good conditions for the future succeseful work in Croatian Ski Association (CroSki).
Then came the time for Janica Kosteliæ to answer some questions of the reporters, and one of the questions was about Janica's possible skiing only at the 2007 FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships in Aare (SWE).
Answering the question about that possiblity, Janica clearly more or less said 90% no, emphasizing that the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships are not for her such a big challenge, in comparison with the Olympic Winter Games for example, especially because she has already won some medals on those events.
Janica also said that she has the support of her family in all of her decisions, and that she expects a good FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2006/07, even with her and some other great retired female skiers like Michaela Dorfmeister, Kristina Koznick, Martina Ertl-Renz or Sonja Nef, for example, not being around, for the time being or any more. |
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