Kostelic back on skis
Kostelic has been dogged by problems
Janica Kostelic has returned to the slopes for the first time since being diagnosed with career-threatening thyroid problems. Croatia’s triple Olympic skiing champion is also battling back to fitness after a a fourth knee operation. Her father and coach Ante Kostelic told Croatian newspaper Novi List daily: “Janica was on skis again Saturday. “She spent some two hours on the snow and she felt well. She’s very happy to ski again.” The 21-year-old joined her brother Ivica, slalom world champion, who was training on Austria’s Hintertux glacier. Her father said: “The skiing on Hintertux is really easy, just for her to feel the snow.” Worsened He stressed the weekend on the slopes had been approved by her doctors and did not involve any serious training. Kostelic’s thyroid problems, which emerged in September, worsened in November and doctors told her that physical effort could be fatal. Her career had already been plagued by knee injuries. She missed the start of her defence of the overall World Cup title and slalom titles after a fourth knee operation in October. Kostelic’s father added: “We will continue with treatment until the situation with the thyroid gland calms down.”
Kostelic won the slalom, giant slalom and combined events in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/3300323.stm