Bojan Križaj

Bojan Križaj
 Alpine skier 
Disciplines Giant slalom, Slalom,
Combined
Born (1957-01-03) January 3, 1957
Kranj, Yugoslavia
World Cup debut December 10, 1976
Retired March 26, 1988
Olympics
Medals 0 (0 gold)
World Championships
Medals 1 (0 gold)
World Cup
Seasons 12
Wins 8
Podiums 33
Overall titles 0
Discipline titles 1

Bojan Križaj ( listen ) (born January 3, 1957) is a Yugoslav and Slovenian former alpine skier. During his international career he competed for the then-existing Yugoslavia.

Career

Križaj, born in Kranj, was a member of a well known Tržič 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 in Madonna di Campiglio he hit his first top 3 podium. On January 20, 1980 he achieved the first Yugoslav World Cup victory in Wengen, Switzerland and later he won seven more times, thus still being Yugoslavia's and Slovenia's most successful male alpine skier ever.

At 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, U.S., he reached the fourth place in giant slalom, missing the bronze medal by only two hundredths of second. Four years later he took the athlete's oath at the opening ceremony for Sarajevo's 1984 Winter Olympics. He caused a stir when he spoke the oath not in Croatian or Serbian but in Slovene. Despite great expectations of the Yugosalv audience he finished ninth in giant slalom, much less than expected. Križaj should also have competed at 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, 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

Overall victories

SeasonDiscipline
1987slalom
DateLocationRace
January 20, 1980 Switzerland WengenSlalom
January 25, 1981 Switzerland WengenSlalom
March 20, 1982 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Kranjska GoraSlalom
February 12, 1983 France MarksteinSlalom
December 16, 1984 Italy Madonna di CampiglioSlalom
March 21, 1986 Canada BromontSlalom
December 20, 1986 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Kranjska GoraSlalom
January 25, 1987 Austria KitzbühelSlalom

References

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Dražen Dalipagić
Borut Petrič
Rok Petrovič
Yugoslav Sportsman of the Year
1979
1982
1987
Succeeded by
Slobodan Kačar
Dragutin Šurbek
Goran Maksimović
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