A guaranteed skiing spectacle!

Judging by the preparations which are well underway and the fact that last year the men’s slalom race on Sljeme was one of the most viewed of all the Ski World Cup races, and that the women’s race was second only to the race in Semmering, the organizers of this year’s slalom race, which will take place on Sljeme above Zagreb on 3rd and 5th January, will certainly offer another true spectacle.

Zagreb and Sljeme will again host a spectacular sporting event – the AUDI FIS of the Ski World Cup Vip Snow Queen Trophy 2012 - Zagreb/Sljeme. The best female skiers will compete for the 8th consecutive time in Zagreb on 3rd January, while the best male skiers, including our own world champion Ivica Kostelić, will race on Sljeme on 5th January. Once again, both slalom races will be night races – the start of the first women’s run will be around 3 P.M. whereas the second race will start around 6 P.M. The men’s race is expected to start around 2.30 P.M. and the second run around 5.30 P.M.  

The organizers of this year’s race have announced a fantastic skiing spectacle which will again take place against the backdrop of the already familiar atmosphere on Sljeme, with numerous spectators providing wholehearted support to the skiers. The best Croatian skier, Ivica Kostelić, who missed a few seasons due to injuries, returned to the world throne last year, where his sister Janica also once reigned. Therefore, the Zagreb audience is expected to attend in large numbers and root not only for the Croatians but also for all the other skiers. This has been the case so far and this is also one of the reasons why the world’s best skiers, as well as the spectators sitting in front of their televisions, love the races on Sljeme so much. The statistical data proves it.  

According to the TV viewing ratings by the International Ski Federation (FIS), the live broadcast of the male slalom race in 2011 had the highest number of viewers of all the World Cup races, whereas in terms of the number of viewers, the ladies slalom race on Sljeme was second only to the race in Semmering, Austrian. Besides the wholehearted support, what attracts the skiers to Sljeme is its unique location. 

All skiing aficionados know that Zagreb is the only capital city in the world which hosts Ski World Cup races in alpine skiing. The organizers invest a lot of effort and enthusiasm and use their rich experience to maintain the reputation of the races on Sljeme as one of the best organized World Cup competitions. Every year they make a step forward to improve the organization and make the stay of all the athletes, team members, media friends, guests and spectators in Zagreb as pleasant as possible.  

Intense preparations are underway on Sljeme. A majority of prefabricated facilities have already been put in place so that Zagreb and Sljeme are again well prepared to act as excellent hosts to the best male and female skiers from all over the world. An impressive entertainment programme has also been prepared for visitors and spectators, ranging from the entertaining public drawing of starting numbers in Ban Jelačić Square to a big party in the meadow known as Krumpirište.