Family affair

Skiing: Janica Kostelic won the women's World Cup slalom race and her brother Ivica emulated her feat in the men's equivalent event.
Barely an hour after Janica Kostelic won the women's World Cup slalom race in the Italian resort of Bormio yesterday, her brother Ivica, above, emulated her feat in the men's equivalent in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

The Croatian pair became the first siblings to win World Cup races on the same day. Last season they both won slaloms in Flachau, Austria, but on consecutive days.

The feat was achieved on Janica's 21st birthday, and she was presented with a giant yellow birthday cake by Croatian fans after a comfortable win over the young Austrian Elisabeth Goergl, daughter of the 1960 and 1964 Olympic bronze medallist Traudl Hecher, by more than two seconds.

"Today could not be better," Janica said. "My brother and I both won. It is a good present from him to me."

Ivica, the defending World Cup slalom champion, was cheered on by crowds of fans from neigh bouring Croatia as he finished just 0.27 seconds ahead of Austria's Rainer Schoenfelder.

"It is great to win here because this is really my home race," he said. "I raced here when I was a child."

© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 1/6/2003
 
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