- Bojan Križaj
MedalBottom
(born
January 3 1957 ) is a Slovenian formeralpine skier who competed forSFR Yugoslavia .Career
Križaj, born in
Kranj , was a member of a well knownTržič Slovenia ski family so he started skiing at the age of 3. In the season 1976/77 he received the first World Cup point, qualified among the 15 best slalom runners and later during that season inMadonna di Campiglio he hit his first top 3 podium. OnJanuary 20 1980 he achieved the first Slovenian and Yugoslav World Cup victory in Wengen,Switzerland and later he won seven more times, thus still being Slovenia's most successful alpine skier ever.At
1980 Winter Olympics inLake Placid, New York , U.S., he reached the fourth place ingiant slalom , missing the bronze medal by only two hundreths of second. Four years later he took the athlete's oath at the opening ceremony forSarajevo 's1984 Winter Olympics . Despite great expactations of the whole Yugoslav audience he finished ninth ingiant slalom , much less than expected. Križaj should also have competed at1988 Winter Olympics inCalgary ,Canada , but he got injured a few days before the event.His most successful World Championship was in 1982 in
Schladming ,Austria where he received the silver medal in slalom.His most successful World Cup season was 1986/87 when he received the small crystal globe for the season's best slalom runner (that was the only men's crystal globe of that season not won by
Pirmin Zurbriggen ). Beside that he was the second in World Cup slalom standings in the 1979/80 and 1985/86 seasons and third in the 1980/81 season. His best position in overall World Cup standings was the 4th place in 1979/80.He concluded his career in 1988 at the race in
Saalbach ,Austria where he stepped off the skis right at the end of the track and walked into the finish area.Since his skiing retirement he worked in many fields, including as importer of Austrian brand beer and adviser for ski products in Elan company.
In March 2006 he became Head of Slovenian Ski Pool.
World Cup victories
References
* [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/613.html?sector=AL&competitorid=32538&type=result FIS profile] (As Bojan Krizaj)
* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=1984 IOC 1984 Winter Olympics]
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