Winning Janica Kostelic is a Survivor
Right now, Janica Kostelic is competing in her own league.

In Aspen, Colorado, the 18-year-old Croatian won her second consecutive slalom of the season — her fourth counting her two "pre-accident" victories from last season.

She beat Germany's Martina Ertl, who was also 2nd in Park City last weekend, by 84/100 of a second. American Kristina Koznick finished 3rd — her best result in the USA ever.

Janica considers herself a survivor. To be able to walk normally, to run, and, of course, to compete as a skier, was not obvious 11 months ago after her bad crash at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

"Last year I had to wait such a long time to win my first super G."

She tore almost all the ligaments in her right knee, and her Swiss surgeon performed a six-hour operation to fix everything at the Bruderholz Hospital in Basle.

Her future as a ski racer was not guaranteed, but she never gave up hope. She worked hard last spring and summer to recover. At the same time, her attitude toward herself, her sport, and her environment, changed.

She became more relaxed, more patient and aimed for other goals such as remaining in good health and enjoying her life. This helped her return quickly to the top and to dominate in the early season with impressive runs through the slalom gates.

She is amazed by her achievements. "I don't know what's happening. I'm like usual, just skiing down and trying to do my best. Everybody is asking me what's my secret, but I'm just skiing down. I think about the course, check where I can get in trouble and make my way down the slope the best way I can," Janica said in Aspen.

"I didn't think too much about this race," she continued. "After the first slalom, I thought, I can do it again, but if I would have been 2nd it's also okay — also 3rd is fine. Actually, even top-30 is okay. Top-30 is my goal for this year, maybe top-15, but usually just top-30."

The 19-year-old Kostelic seems to have a humble enough attitude, but her killer instinct shows in her ability to rip the course, to the top of the podium, despite last year's massive crash. She's still young and has many years of racing ahead of her. "I'm just 18 and I have time. The other girls, they are 30, 28, so it's like 10 more years, so it's enough. I would be very happy to win a major title, but nothing is going to change me. I would be World Cup winner, that's all."

Second-place Ertl, from Bavaria, is dominating the early part of the World Cup tour; she has reached three podiums so far and two other times finished in the top-seven. This is incredible for Ertl, who struggled so much in the technical events only a year ago, when she had problems on the new shorter slalom skis introduced by the ski manufacturers.

Other favorites finished way behind in this race, including last winter's dominators, Spela Pretnar and Christel Saioni, only 9th and 10th, respectively. American Sarah Schleper finished 12th.

The next women's events are planned next week in Canada's Lake Louise - two downhills and a Super-G races. USA's Picabo Street will not be there due to recent knee surgery, but she plans to return to the World Cup tour in Val d'Isère, France in two weeks. Janica Kostelic's example today might inspire her strongly.

— Manuèle Lang, World Cup Correspondent

Also this weekend: Women's Super G | Men's Downhill | Men's Super G

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