Hailing from the little known but well-loved resort Obersaxen, Carlo Janka didn't launch his international racing career until 2001. He didn't appear on the World Cup scene until 2005 and it took him until the following year to begin picking up Cup points (with a 20th-place finish in the giant slalom in Alta Badia). That same year - 2006 - Janka landed a bronze medal in GS at the Junior World Ski Championships in Quebec and was fourth overall in the Europa Cup standings.

Now known as "The Iceman" among his Swiss fans for his cool and laid back personality, Janka really found his racing stride last season, when he suddenly established himself as one of the top multi-discipline racers on the World Cup.

His success came on fast. Janka began the 2008-09 World Cup season starting at the very back of the field. He etched his mark loudly and boldly in last November's downhill race at Lake Louise, when he managed to find his way to the second step of the podium wearing bib No. 65. He notched his first World Cup victory two weeks later in the giant slalom at Val d'Isere and went on to prove his mastery of the extremely technical Bellevarde slope at Val d'Isere last March, earning the 2009 world championship GS crown as well as bronze in the world championship downhill. Janka dedicated his GS gold to good friend and teammate Daniel Albrecht, who was in the hospital following a crash at Kitzbuhel earlier in the season. Janka also showed the world that his speed holds strong in the tight gates, winning last year's super-combined World Cup at Wengen and taking third in Sestriere, then claiming the super-combined World Cup globe. He went from 64th in the 2008 overall Cup standings to seventh in 2009, ranked sixth in GS and 16th in downhill and super G with 12 top-10 finishes in the four disciplines (DH, SG, SC and GS). In 2010 was the year of Carlo Janka as he clinched both the Olympic gold medal in giant slalom at the Vancouver 2010 Games and the overall World Cup title.

A music lover, Janka's taste ranges from Johnny Cash to Metallica to Coldplay and he is also a tennis and soccer fan, supporting Manchester United and countryman Roger Federer.