January 2, 2022 - What can we expect from Croatian skiers at Snow Queen Trophy 2022 on Sljeme in Zagreb this week?

Despite the unusually warm temperatures for this time of year, the Sljeme Red Slope is ready to welcome the best slalom skiers in the world, who will fight for points in the World Cup at the Snow Queen 2022 trophy on January 4 and 5, 2022, reports Novi List.

On this occasion, a virtual press conference was held for the second year in a row because the International Ski Federation (FIS) has stringent anti-epidemic rules that will be even stricter from January 1.

"Everyone who competes, whether vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19, will also need to have a negative PCR test no older than 48 hours to appear at the start of the race," said the Snow Queen Trophy Organizing Committee director and Croatian alpine team rep Vedran Pavlek.

"We are proud to be able to organize the race in these strange times," said the President of the Croatian Ski Association and the Organizing Committee, Miho Glavic.

"Unfortunately, this year we will not have spectators along the track and in the stands," Glavić added, and Vedran Pavlek explained the decision:

"We had to make that decision early, at the end of October, when the number of those infected was rising. It turned out to be a good decision. Here, the New Year's jump tour, perhaps the largest ski competition globally, is being held without spectators. Instead, the focus will be on the best possible track preparation, the best possible TV broadcast, and the best possible results of Croatian skiers.”

Although the current weather conditions are not favorable, there is enough snow on the Sljeme slopes to hold the race, said the head of the Sljeme ski resort Marko Vidović.

“We only started producing artificial snow on December 7 and powered all the infrastructure we have. We did our best. The Red Slope is ready. We have had problems with temperatures for the last week. Fortunately, no southwest wind is fatal for Sljeme," said Vdović and expressed hope that after the end of the Snow Queen, there will be favorable weather conditions that would allow additional snow trails and open ski resorts for citizens.

Good conditions from the first half of December provided Croatian skiers with plenty of space for training.

“Large amounts of snow were made at the beginning of December. Our skiers trained for seven, eight days in fantastic conditions. Unfortunately, training has stopped," said Vedran Pavlek, but also announced that with favorable weather conditions in the coming days, there will again be space for training on the slopes of Sljeme. 

"Clear evenings have been announced. There is enough snow on the Red Slope. It's just a matter of preparation in the coming days. We will almost certainly not inject water into the track but only surface water. Our skiers will train on the Green Slope on January 1st and 2nd."

Due to the impossibility of training on Sljeme, the best Croatian skier Filip Zubčić spoke from the Austrian ski resort Reiteralm, where he worked intensively on improving his giant slalom form, with which he was not satisfied, unlike the slalom in Val d’Isere which brought him third place and his first podium in World Cup races in this discipline. After two slaloms, Zubčić is fifth in the slalom rankings.

"The slalom started well this year. One goal was the slalom podium. I ski well; I'm in good shape. Now we are trying to improve our giant slalom form," said Filip, who can hardly wait for the start of the race in which he achieved his best slalom result so far by winning fifth place last year.

“I can say that Sljeme is my home track, so I am always looking forward to the race. I like to come up because I can sleep at home.”

Last year's race, the first pandemic edition of the Snow Queen Trophy, brought great results to Croatian skiers. Along with Zubčić, two others were among the top 15 - Matej Vidović in 12th place and Samuel Kolega in 15th place. Among the 30 was Istok Rhodes in 23rd place.

Although there will be no fans along the track and from the finish arena, Vedran Pavlek believes a similar scenario can be repeated this year.

"I believe that their long-term skiing on Sljeme will be an advantage. Even though there are no fans, skiing at home is an additional incentive. This may be an opportunity for Leona to join you."

Leona Popović is currently the best Croatian female skier, who has constant points in slalom races this season, and won 14th place on Wednesday in Lienz, Austria, with the fifth-best time in the second run.

"I did not ski the first ride as I imagined. I knew I could do a lot better, and I had a great second run. We had good training on Sljeme. I think we prepared well," said the 24-year-old from Mrkopalj, who has never reached the second run on Sljeme. The closest was in 2020 when she won 31st place in the first run and missed second place by nine-hundredths of a second.

"I wouldn't bet on Sljeme, we're not friends, but I'll do my best."

Along with Leona Popović, 17-year-old Zrinka Ljutić will be again at the start of the Snow Queen. She was four-hundredths of a second out of the second run in Lienz, which is also a good announcement that she might win her first World Cup points on Sljeme.

"Leona has made a really serious series; she is progressing slowly and towards the first strong group. She still has to get used to the new environment in the World Cup. I do not doubt that she will have a great skiing career; she needs to be patient," said Vedran Pavlek.

The third Croatian representative is Andrea Komšić from Zagreb.

Last season's World Cup race was the most-viewed World Cup race and was watched live by 26.7 million spectators, more than the legendary downhill race in Kitzbuehel. So the Snow Queen organizers can be happy for a good time and placement within the New Year's jump tour in Innsbruck, as it will be this year.

"It is a reward for everyone and an additional incentive to work in the future," said Pavlek.

The first run is scheduled for 12:30 pm, and the second will begin at 4:05 pm. It will be the 16th edition of the women's slalom on the Red Slope, while on January 5, male skiers will fight for the 13th time. The start of the first run is at 3:30 pm, and the second is at 6:40 pm.

Along with Filip Zubčić, Matej Vidović and Samuel Kolega, Leon Nikić and Tvrtko Ljutić will be at the start in the expanded Croatian contingent, and the sixth place could be taken by the former world junior slalom champion and returnee after Istok Rodeš's severe elbow injury.

"Istok had an atypical injury; he had to undergo reoperation. He is recovering well, and the decision on whether to perform will be made after the New Year, after training on the Green Slope, maybe even the day before the race." 

Unfortunately, Elias Kolega will not be among those on the starting list for the second year in a row.

"He had two serious injuries, two fractures. He has not healed perfectly; he still feels pain in his lower leg. But, for him, the season is over, and we hope that he will be able to start training in the spring," Pavlek revealed.

PCR testing will also decide who will be at the start of the race. The coronavirus stopped Mikaela Shiffrin from performing in Lienz. Still, Vedran Pavlek received indications that the leading skier of the World Cup and co-recorder of Sljeme races with four victories could return to competitions on the Red Slope.

"They inquired about training opportunities on Sljeme. She is waiting to be released from isolation, which is within the competence of the Austrian authorities. Nevertheless, her camp is very optimistic about her competing on Sljeme."

The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, and the Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Luka Korlaet, expressed their support for the race with their video messages, emphasizing the importance of this sporting event for the promotion of Croatia and Zagreb.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January 6, 2021 - After the ladies took on Sljeme on Sunday, a total of 55 male skiers competed in the first run of the Snow Queen Trophy in Zagreb on Wednesday.

The first slalom started at 12:15. The Croatia ski team has four representatives on Sljeme this year - Filip Zubčić, Istok Rodeš, Matej Vidović, and Samuel Kolega.

Croatia's best hope for a good result on Sljeme was in Filip Zubčić, currently eighth in the overall World Cup standings. He reached that spot by winning first and third place in Santa Caterina and 10th in Alta Badia in three giant slaloms. In the slalom this season, his best result is 20th place from Madonna di Campiglio.

Zubčić achieved his best slalom result in his career on Sljeme. He was 15th in 2015, and the victory went to Austrian Marcel Hirscher.

Hirscher has the most victories on Sljeme and was even proclaimed king of Sljeme five times. Last season, Frenchman Clement Noël won the competition. This season, the biggest favorite is the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen, the leader in the overall slalom standings after two races. In Alta Badia, Swiss skier Ramon Zenhäusern celebrated, and in Madonna di Campiglio, it was Kristoffersen.

Kristoffersen was the first to start in today's race, while Croatian skiers Filip Zubčić started at number 16, Istok Rodeš at 33, Matej Vidović at 52, and Samuel Kolega at 53.

And what a great first run it was for Croatian skiers. 

Namely, Zubčić had the 10th best time and is 49 hundredths of a second behind a place on the podium!

The great performance of Rodeš gave him a high 18th place, while Samuel Kolega also qualified for the second run in 30th.

Finally, Matej Vidović, Croatia's final skier in the first run, also qualified for the second run with the 21st best time! This is a historic day for Croatian skiing, as all four Croatian representatives will perform in the second run for the first time! 

In the second run, which was scheduled for 15:30, three Croatian skiers achieved the result of their career in slalom - Zubčić finished fifth, Vidović 12th, and Kolega 15th place. Rodeš finished in 23rd place.

Source: Index.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 3, 2021 - The world's best female skiers will open the Snow Queen Trophy on Sljeme on Sunday. Among them are two Croatian representatives.

Namely, HRT reports that Leona Popović will start 45th, and 16-year-old Zrinka Ljutić will have the starting number 65. Austrian skier Chiara Mair will open the race. The introductory program starts at noon on HRT 2.

With the sun's early rays, the ski staff and competitors arrived at the top of Medvednica on Saturday to better prepare for the competitive challenge that awaits female skiers on Sunday and male skiers on Wednesday. While winning and achieving good results is a priority, Croatian skiers find it hard to shake off the tragic 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck central Croatia on December 29. 

"It is an emergency with these earthquakes. Today is a day of mourning. I wish everyone all the best to really recover from that as soon as possible, it is not easy, and this year everything will definitely be a little different," said Samuel Kolega on Saturday.

Croatian skiers have grown used to skiing without the support of the fans who were especially loud on Sljeme. This season's World Cup debutant, Zrinka Ljutić, will find it challenging even without that kind of pressure, considering that she is just breaking the ice among the ski elite.

"We just had the last training here on the green slope. It's good, I feel good, I'm ready, I'll see how it will be tomorrow because of the snow. I hope the track will last until my ride, and I will do my best. I train a lot, I really work hard and I try hard, so we will see," said the young Croatian skier.

For this great effort to ultimately pay off with top results, Zrinka must gradually take on the world of skiing. The Ljutić team is aware of that, and Zrinka shared her goals for this season:

"I would like to enter the 30s in slalom and giant slalom, and have the best possible result at the Eurocup, which I will start during the season."

The Snow Queen Trophy organizers announced on their Facebook page that they would be donating to earthquake victims:

"Motivated by the recent catastrophic earthquake that hit Petrinja, Sisak, Glina, and the surrounding area, we decided to donate 10% of the prize money for the first 30 skiers to those affected. This donation will be matched by CroSki, bringing the total amount donated to 350.000 HRK. The funds will support people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed in central Croatia. Our hearts are with you."

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, Dec 18, 2020 - The FIS international ski federation and National Civil Protection Authority have officially approved the 2021 Snow Queen Trophy, FIS World Cup Ski race on Mount Sljeme in compliance with the most stringent epidemiological measures and without any spectators, FIS announced on Friday.

In accordance with current anti-COVID measures in Croatia, the Sljeme race will be held  on 3 and 6 January without spectators and guests and according to FIS rules for this season there will not be any public draw of starting numbers that was traditionally held in Zagreb's main square.

This will be the first time that the race will be held without audience and in an effort to limit contact between competitors, additional protective mechanisms have been introduced with "balloons" separating teams, the media, organisation teams without mutual mixing between balloons.

All participants have to produce a negative COVID-19 test no older than 72 hours and monitor their health on a daily basis in their FIS COVID-19 passports.

All the competitors and their teams arriving in Zagreb will be previously tested and accommodated in The Westin Zagreb which will closed to other visitors. Hotel staff will also be tested while reporters will be accommodated in another hotel.

This is the 15th edition of the Women's Slalom race with the winner being proclaimed as the Snow Queen. The Women's Slalom race is scheduled for Sunday 3 January 2021 with the 1st run starting at 12.30 pm and the 2nd run starting at 4 pm.

The 12th Men's Slalom on Sljeme will start at 12.15 on Wednesday 6 January and the second run will start at 3.30 pm.

Yesterday we reported on the Snow Queen Trophy women's slalom race held near Zagreb, on Sljeme hill just north of the city. On Sunday, the men's slalom race was held, in which Frenchman Clement Noel managed to win, while Croatian skiers managed to get just one top-30 finish.

The race was held in the afternoon, as it is one of the nighttime races in the calendar of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom races. In the first run, the Swiss skier Ramon Zenhaeursen took first place, after he went down the slope first, with the no. 1 bib. Michael Matt of Germany, with bib 4, was placed second, while the third-place finish surprisingly went to Linus Strasser, who started the race with the bib number 31.

The Croatian skiers didn't really impress anyone in the first run: the best result was achieved by Istok Rodeš, who was 19th and who was the only Croatian to qualify for the second run. Matej Vidović, as well as Elias and Samuel Kolega didn't finish the first run, while Leon Nikić and Filip Zubčić got the positions 39 and 40 (out of 45 finishers). The biggest controversy of the first run was Alexis Pinturault's run. It seemed as if he had made a disqualifying mistake, however, he completed the race - and was quickly disqualified right after it. However, after the French delegation complained, his race was deemed to have not been incorrect, so his result was re-instated, and he finished the first run 14th.

In the end, French skier Clement Noel, fourth in the first run, won with 0.07 seconds in front of the leader from the first run, Zenhaeursen. Young Italian skier Alex Vintazer, eighth in the first run was third total, 0.29 seconds behind the winner. Croatian Istok Rodeš was 25th, with the final time of 1:58.78, 1.64 seconds behind the winner. Michael Matt and Linus Strasser weren't able to repeat their great performances in the second run: Matt was the only skier unable to finish it, while Strasser was 8th total. 

Former Croatian skier Ivica Kostelić, overall World Cup title winner in 2011, complained after the first run of the Snow Queen Trophy that the setup of the race was too simple and easy, as if it was made for the children's race and not the World Cup where the elite skiers compete against each other.

American skier Mikaela Shiffrin is the winner of the Snow Queen Trophy on Sljeme in Zagreb!

Fans patiently await the first slalom race on Sljeme’s Red Slope.

Now that Advent in Zagreb has finally packed up and put away their festive flair, we can count the numbers and add up the results after a month and a half of holiday fun. 

Lack of snow puts annual skiing championship under threat.