Bojan Križaj

Bojan Križaj (listen ) (born 3 January 1957) is a Slovenian, back then Yugoslavian, former alpine skier. During his international career he competed for the then-existing Yugoslavia. He competed at three Winter Olympics.[1]

Bojan Križaj
Alpine skier
DisciplinesGiant slalom, Slalom,
Combined
Born (1957-01-03) 3 January 1957
Kranj, SFR Yugoslavia
World Cup debut10 December 1976
Retired26 March 1988
Olympics
Medals0 (0 gold)
World Championships
Medals1 (0 gold)
World Cup
Seasons12
Wins8
Podiums33
Overall titles0
Discipline titles1

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 20 January 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 to date.

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 a 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 Yugoslav 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 results

Season titles

Season Discipline
1987Slalom

Season standings

Season Age Overall Slalom Giant
slalom
Super-G Downhill Combined
197719431522
197820201112
1979218123
198022426
198123631512
198224968
198325952015
1984261051731
1985271062220
19862815219
19872991
1988305116

Race podiums

  • 8 wins (8 SL)
  • 33 podiums (26 SL, 7 GS)
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 Taernaby, 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

Olympic Games results

Season Age Slalom Giant
slalom
Super-G Downhill Combined
197618DNF118not
run
not
run
198022DNF14
19842679
198830injured, did not compete

World Championships results

Season Age Slalom Giant
slalom
Super-G Downhill Combined
19741613not
run
197618DNF118
197820DNFDNF
198022DNF14
19822427DNF SL2
19852758
1987296

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.

References

  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bojan Križaj Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
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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