Janica Kostelic

One of the greatest female skiers of all time, the Croatian star became the first woman in skiing history to win four Alpine gold medals following her victory in the women's combined event in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy. She also won a silver medal in the super-G, her sixth career Olympic medal, which made her the most successful woman in Olympic Alpine skiing history. She is also the only woman to have won three alpine Olympic gold medals in one year at Salt Lake City in 2002.

Kostelic was World Cup champion in 2001 and 2003 and is currently leading the standings for the 2005/06 competition. On January 15, 2006 she became only the second woman in history, along with Austria’s Petra Kronberger, to win a grand slam of all five Alpine skiing disciplines in the same season – downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined - when she triumphed in the slalom at Ofterschwang in Germany.

In addition to being a brilliant skier, Kostelic has proved a courageous fighter, coming back from debilitating injuries. To compete in Salt Lake City she fought back from three knee operations in 12 months to win gold medals in the giant slalom, slalom and combined events, and silver in the super-G.

 In 2003 she was nominated for two Laureus Awards - the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and the Laureus World Comeback of the Year - following her Salt Lake City triumph, but lost out in both categories, to American tennis player Serena Williams and Brazilian footballer Ronaldo respectively.

On January 15, 2006 she became only the second woman in history, along with Austria's Petra Kronberger, to win a grand slam of all five Alpine skiing disciplines in the same season - downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and combined - when she won the slalom race at Ofterschwang in Germany.

Just a month later in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, she won her fourth career gold medal in the combined event and followed this up with the silver medal in the super-G, her sixth Olympic medal in total.

She announced her retirement on April 19, 2007, citing persistent pain from injuries.

In her career Janica Kostelic was nominated on five occasions for Laureus Awards.  In 2001 she was nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award.  In 2003 she was nominated in two categories - Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and Laureus World Comeback of the Year - following her Salt Lake City triumph, but lost out in both categories, to American tennis player Serena Williams and Brazilian footballer Ronaldo respectively.  She was nominated for Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year both in 2005 and 2006.  She lost in 2005 to Britain's Kelly Holmes, then she finally won in 2006 beating nominees who included Carolina Kluft, Paula Radcliffe and Annika Sorenstam.