Ivica Kostelic is back with a vengeance.
Never mind regular soreness in his back, nor knee surgery just over a month ago. Nothing to be worried about seven right knee surgeries, and one on the left, spanning a long career. And the fact that the veteran racer hasn't won a World Cup slalom since his victory in Alta Badia in December of 2008.
For anyone that might have been concerned that the plethora of injuries, pain, bumps and bruises which Kostelic has dealt with would ultimately be too much for the 30-year-old racer, think again.
While he just finished third in a slalom one week ago in Adelboden, Kostelic's performance on Sunday in Wengen was a major statement. In a place that has been particularly kind to him over the years.
"It's a special place," said Kostelic after the victory in the finish area. "For me the W in Wengen is like the W in Wimbledon."
His countryman, Goran Ivanisevic, the 2001 Wimbledon champion would certainly be impressed.
After Kostelic crossed the finish line in Wengen, defeating Sweden's Andre Myhrer by .29 seconds, he kissed the snow, surely a sign that this one meant a lot to him.
"I didn't just kiss the snow for today's victory," he said. "This is my sixth podium on this course. It's the most I have at any resort."
Kostelic also won in Wengen, eight years ago all the way back in 2002. He was second in 2005. He has been third three times, in 2003, 2004 and last season.
Under cloudy morning skies and a mild temperature of three degrees Celsius at the bottom of the course, Kostelic stormed out to the first run lead by .14 over France's Julien Lizeroux and Austria's Reinfried Herbst.
"When I saw the setting of the first run which was very interesting and kind of different than other settings we normally have, I knew that today might be the day," said Kostelic.
Considering that Lizeroux has been as hot as can be, fresh off a victory where he somehow found a way to overcome a deficit of more than a second to win in Adelboden and Herbst is an Olympic silver medalist who has won twice already this year, this one wouldn't be easy.
Add to it that Kostelic was questioned for potentially straddling the final gate in his first run, thus facing a possible disqualification. After video review, it was confirmed there was no infraction, however not something that you want to be dealing with or thinking about when you are the first run leader.
The Croatian's second run of 48.41 was tactically smart and steady. Not spectacular, just the tenth fastest of the afternoon, however exactly what was necessary to secure the victory. Certainly, it was the mark of an experienced competitor.
Kostelic underwent surgery to repair a broken meniscus inside the joint on his right knee on December 13th in Basel, Switzerland, immediately after tweaking it while competing in Val d'Isère, France. After a few days on crutches, and rehabilitation he made it back on skis on December 26. During this period, Ivica was forced to skip key races in Alta Badia, Italy.
Returning to racing in his native Croatia on January 6, Kostelic failed to qualify for the second run in Zagreb. It would be one week later that he would finish .80 seconds behind Lizeroux in Adelboden, claiming his first podium of the season, no question, a highly encouraging performance.
While Kostelic did start the season off on a positive note, racing to second at the season opening slalom in Levi, Finland, .28 behind Herbst, he sat out races in Beaver Creek, Colorado just over a month later as a result of back spasms.
"It's great - I didn't expect to be back from my surgery so quickly," he said on Sunday. "It's a good sign."
Despite the injuries, Kostelic has kept a very aggressive schedule since competing in Zagreb the first week of January. Factoring in the weekend races in Adelboden, downhill training, the super combined and the downhill in Wengen, Sunday's slalom was his eighth race in just twelve days. Certainly, not something you would expect from an athlete who has battled so much discomfort.
"I told him, you can't think about too much, you just have to go with the flow," said his sister Janica on Sunday, regarding whether or not he considered a game plan involving skipping certain races."
"His back is always a little bit sore, he does a lot of stretching before and after races," she said. "You never really know when it will act up."
Guess it's hard not to be inspired, when your younger sister has won four Olympic and five World Championship medals, as well as three overall titles, during a career continually fighting through persistent pain from injuries and surgeries of her own.
Ivica has competed at the past two Olympics in Torino and Salt Lake City, finishing sixth in the 2006 slalom and failing to complete his second run in 2002. His major successes include a silver medal in the combined in Torino and a World Championship slalom gold in 2003 in St. Moritz.
The victory and podium, in Wengen and Adelboden, are more than impressive, however Kostelic has clearly defined his expectations over the upcoming months.
"My main goal this season is an Olympic medal," said Ivica. "I had just been hoping to make it through January with my focus on the Olympics."
Come February, it will be hard to look past someone who has proven himself time and again, despite the naysayers. Kostelic even overcame three ACL surgeries before attaining any kind of success on the World Cup.
"Everyone was saying, ‘forget it,' but I knew I had to just keep going, like Abraham Lincoln," he said.
Regarding the current pain and discomfort in the right knee, Kostelic takes it as it comes.
"When it hurts, it hurts," he says. "Your mind always flips to your knee when it hurts and it's hard to concentrate."
Somehow, the determined Croatian continues to find a way.
"One of the best virtues is persistence," says Kostelic.
By Brian Pinelli
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