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Has Croatia found its next Janica Kostelić?  

Zrinka Ljutić

Zrinka Ljutic celebrates in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia last month (Photo credit: Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool)

Croatian female skiing, which was epitomised by the legendary Janica Kostelić, has found a new beacon in young Zrinka Ljutić.

Born and raised in Zagreb, 21-year-old Ljutić has rapidly ascended the ranks of alpine skiing, drawing parallels to Kostelić’s illustrious career.

Kostelić, often hailed as the greatest female ski racer of all time, boasts an unparalleled record. She is the only woman to have clinched four Olympic gold medals in alpine skiing, achieving three of these at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Her World Cup accolades include three overall titles and victories across all five disciplines.

Ljutić’s journey began in her hometown, and she started to create attention first back in 2018 by winning both the giant slalom and slalom in the under-14 category at the prestigious FIS Children’s Cup.

Two years later, she replicated this feat in the under-16 category, signalling her undoubtable talent.

At just 16, Ljutić made her European Cup debut in slalom at Ahrntal-Klausberg. The following month, she secured her first European Cup victory in slalom at Zell am See, followed by a giant slalom win at Krvavec.

By 2021, she had clinched the Croatian national titles in both slalom and giant slalom.

A big moment came in 2022 when Ljutić, representing the Croatian ski club Žuti Mačak from Zagreb, won a historic gold medal at the Junior World Championships in Canada.

This was the first-ever gold for a Croatian woman at the FIS World Junior Championships.

19-year-old Croatian skier Zrinka Ljutić takes her first World Cup podium

(Photo: Zrinka Ljutić/Instagram)

Current season – 3 World Cup wins

The current 2024/2025 World Cup season has been particularly stellar for Ljutić.

In November 2024, she achieved her career-best giant slalom result, finishing second in Killington after an impressive climb from fifth position in the first run.

December saw her secure a sixth-place finish in the giant slalom at Semmering on the 28th, followed by her maiden World Cup victory in slalom at the same venue on the 29th, winning with a commanding 1.75-second lead.

This triumph was especially poignant, marking the first win for Croatian women’s skiing since Kostelić’s victory in 2006.

Ljutić’s momentum continued into the new year. On 5 January 2025, she claimed her second career victory in slalom at Kranjska Gora, becoming the first Croatian woman to win at this venue.

Zrinka Ljutic Croatian skier

Zrinka Ljutic celebrates during the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2024-2025 in Killington, Vermont, USA (Photo credit: Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool)

Notably, both of her initial victories were achieved with the start number 2, with the runner-up each time starting first. This win propelled her to the top of the overall World Cup standings for the first time in her career.

Her third career victory came on 30 January 2025, when she triumphed in the night slalom at Courchevel, maintaining her lead from the first run.

This win elevated her to second place in the slalom standings and fourth in the overall World Cup rankings, amassing 601 points.

Beyond skiing, Ljutić enjoys music, literature, and photography. She has also recently taken up tennis during the off-season.

As Ljutić continues to shine on the international stage, many see in her the resurgence of Croatia’s skiing glory, reminiscent of the days when Janica Kostelić dominated the slopes.

Her blend of talent, determination, and passion suggests that Croatian skiing has indeed found its next star.

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