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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1957-01-03)3 January 1957 (age 68) Kranj,SFR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Alpine skier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skiing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disciplines | Giant slalom,slalom,combined | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup debut | 10 December 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 26 March 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Bojan Križaj (listenⓘ) (born 3 January 1957) is a Slovenian formeralpine skier. During his international career he competed for the then-existingYugoslavia. He competed at three Winter Olympics.[1][2]
Križaj, born inKranj, was a member of a well knownTržič 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 bestslalom runners and later during that season inMadonna di Campiglio he hit his first top 3 podium. On 20 January 1980 he achieved the firstYugoslav World Cup victory inWengen,Switzerland and later he won seven more times, thus still being Yugoslavia's and Slovenia's most successful male alpine skier to date.[2]
At1980 Winter Olympics inLake Placid, New York,U.S., he reached the fourth place ingiant slalom, missing the bronze medal by only two hundredths of a second. Four years later he took theathlete's oath at the opening ceremony forSarajevo's1984 Winter Olympics. He caused a stir when he spoke the oath not inCroatian or Serbian but inSlovene. Despite great expectations of the Yugoslav audience he finished ninth ingiant slalom, much less than expected. Križaj should also have competed at1988 Winter Olympics inCalgary, Alberta,Canada, but he got injured a few days before the event.[2]
His most successful World Championship was in 1982 inSchladming,Austria where he received the silver medal inslalom.
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 byPirmin 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.[2]
He concluded his career in 1988 at the race inSaalbach,Austria where he stepped off the skis right at the end of the track and walked into the finish area.[2] Since his skiing retirement he worked in many fields, including as importer of Austrian brand beer and adviser for ski products inElan company. In March 2006 he became Head of Slovenian Ski Pool.
| Season | Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Slalom |
| Season | Age | Overall | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 19 | 43 | 15 | 22 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | 20 | 20 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | 21 | 8 | 12 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 15 | — | — | 12 |
| 1982 | 24 | 9 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 20 | — | — | 15 |
| 1984 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 17 | — | — | 31 |
| 1985 | 27 | 10 | 6 | 22 | — | — | 20 |
| 1986 | 28 | 15 | 2 | 19 | — | — | — |
| 1987 | 29 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
| 1988 | 30 | 51 | 16 | — | — | — | — |
| Season | Date | Location | Discipline | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 13 December 1977 |  Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 3rd |
| 1979 | 22 December 1978 |  Kranjska Gora, Slovenia | Giant slalom | 3rd |
| 7 January 1979 |  Courchevel, France | Giant slalom | 3rd | |
| 4 February 1979 |  Jasna, Czechoslovakia | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 13 March 1979 |  Heavenly Valley, United States | Giant slalom | 2nd | |
| 1980 | 8 December 1979 | Val d'Isere, France | Giant slalom | 2nd |
| 11 December 1979 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 12 December 1979 | Giant slalom | 3rd | ||
| 20 January 1980 |  Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 1st | |
| 27 January 1980 | Chamonix, France | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 1981 | 9 December 1980 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 3rd |
| 6 January 1981 | Morzine, France | Giant slalom | 3rd | |
| 25 January 1981 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 1st | |
| 15 March 1981 |  Furano, Japan | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 1982 | 20 March 1982 | Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia | Slalom | 1st |
| 1983 | 12 February 1983 | Markstein, France | Slalom | 1st |
| 23 February 1983 |  Tärnaby, Sweden | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 20 March 1983 | Furano, Japan | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 1984 | 13 December 1983 | Courmayeur, Italy | Slalom | 2nd |
| 22 January 1984 |  Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 1985 | 16 December 1984 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 1st |
| 13 January 1985 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 1986 | 1 December 1985 | Sestriere, Italy | Slalom | 2nd |
| 16 December 1985 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 14 January 1986 |  Berchtesgaden, Germany | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 2 February 1986 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 21 March 1986 |  Bromont, Canada | Slalom | 1st | |
| 1987 | 20 December 1986 | Kranjska Gora, Yugoslavia | Slalom | 1st |
| 21 December 1986 | Hinterstoder, Austria | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 18 January 1987 | Wengen, Switzerland | Slalom | 3rd | |
| 25 January 1987 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Slalom | 1st | |
| 21 March 1987 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | Slalom | 2nd | |
| 1988 | 16 December 1987 | Madonna di Campiglio, Italy | Slalom | 3rd |
| Season | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 18 | DNF1 | 18 | not run | — | not run |
| 1980 | 22 | DNF1 | 4 | — | ||
| 1984 | 26 | 7 | 9 | — | ||
| 1988 | 30 | injured, did not compete | ||||
| Season | Age | Slalom | Giant slalom | Super-G | Downhill | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 16 | 13 | — | not run | — | — |
| 1976 | 18 | DNF1 | 18 | — | — | |
| 1978 | 20 | DNF | DNF | — | — | |
| 1980 | 22 | DNF1 | 4 | — | — | |
| 1982 | 24 | 2 | 7 | — | DNF SL2 | |
| 1985 | 27 | 5 | 8 | — | — | |
| 1987 | 29 | 6 | — | — | — | — |
From1948 through1980, theWinter Olympics were also theWorld Championships for alpine skiing.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Yugoslav Sportsman of the Year 1979 1982 1987 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
