Šárka Záhrobská
Encyclopedia
Šárka Záhrobská (ˈʃaːrka ˈzaːɦropskaː; born February 11, 1985, in Benecko
) is a Czech
Alpine ski racer
, specializing in the slalom
event. She is the first Alpine skier representing the Czech Republic to medal at the Winter Olympics and at the World Championships and just the second Czech Alpine skier ever to medal in the Olympics.
in slalom at the 2007 World Championships and narrowly missed a bronze
in the super combined
, finishing in 4th place by 0.20 seconds. Two years earlier, she won her first medal at the 2005 World Championships, taking the bronze in slalom while placing 5th in the combined. It was the first World Championships medal for a Czech alpine skier. In the 2006 Winter Olympics
, she finished 13th in slalom, 19th in the combined
, and 27th in Super G
; she did not finish the second run of the giant slalom
.
On the World Cup
circuit, Záhrobská made her debut in 2002–03
and finished 5th in her first race, a knock-out slalom (an experimental format using a series of elimination races) in Sestriere
, Italy
. She ended the 2004
and 2006
seasons ranked in the top 10 in slalom, and broke into the top 30 in the overall ranking in 2006. She is enjoying her finest season thus far in 2006–7
, ranking 4th in combined, 5th in slalom, and 10th in the overall standings before the mid-season break for the World Championships. She also reached the podium in a World Cup race for the first time, finishing 3rd in the slalom on January 4, 2007, at Zagreb
, Croatia
, and followed it up only 3 days later with 2nd place in the slalom at Kranjska Gora
, Slovenia
. This ended a 21-year long drought for Czech Alpine skiers on the World Cup podium, since Olga Charvátová
took 2nd place in Bromont, Quebec
on March 22, 1986
.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
in Vancouver
, she earned a bronze medal in the Slalom
. This made her the first Czech to ever medal in Alpine skiing for the Czech Republic and just the second Czech ever, once again joining Olga Charvátová
, who won a bronze in the 1984 Winter Olympics
while competing for Czechoslovakia
.
Záhrobská has also won numerous medals at the National Alpine Skiing Championships of the Czech Republic
and other nations. She has been the National Champion (i.e. gold medalist) at the Czech (2002: slalom; 2003: slalom, giant slalom, and Super G; 2004: slalom, giant slalom; 2005: slalom, giant slalom; 2006: Super G), Slovenia
n (2006: giant slalom), and Croatia
n (2006: giant slalom) national championships. Her giant slalom victory at the 2006 Croatian championships was by a narrow 0.15 second margin over Janica Kostelić
, who had just beaten Záhrobská for the Super G title the previous day and was coming off one of the most dominant seasons in World Cup skiing history.
Šárka Záhrobská and her brother Petr Záhrobský
are the only skiers of the Ski Team Krkonoš. Their personal coach is their father Petr Záhrobský. The team has not had good relationships with the Czech Ski Association. The coach protested, especially after the association officials approved the rule that Czech skiers have to prefer their home competitions to the foreign ones, and refused to follow it, stating that Záhrobská needs better rivals to remain a premier international skier. Šárka Záhrobská also does not prepare with the rest of the Czech national team because her father believes it would disadvantage her career.
Both Šárka Záhrobská and her brother Petr Záhrobský race on Head
skis.
Benecko
Benecko is a village and municipality in Semily District in the Liberec Region of the Czech Republic....
) is a Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, specializing in the slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
event. She is the first Alpine skier representing the Czech Republic to medal at the Winter Olympics and at the World Championships and just the second Czech Alpine skier ever to medal in the Olympics.
Skiing career
She won the gold medalGold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in slalom at the 2007 World Championships and narrowly missed a bronze
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the super combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
, finishing in 4th place by 0.20 seconds. Two years earlier, she won her first medal at the 2005 World Championships, taking the bronze in slalom while placing 5th in the combined. It was the first World Championships medal for a Czech alpine skier. In the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events, held at Sestriere and Cesana-San Sicario, Italy. The races were held from February 12-25, 2006.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :-Course Information:...
, she finished 13th in slalom, 19th in the combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
, and 27th in Super G
Super Giant Slalom skiing
The Super Giant Slalom is an Alpine skiing discipline. It is usually referred to as Super G and is a "speed" event, along with the faster Downhill event; the Giant Slalom and Slalom events are known as the "technical" disciplines.-History:...
; she did not finish the second run of the giant slalom
Giant Slalom skiing
Giant slalom is an alpine skiing discipline. It involves skiing between sets of poles spaced at a greater distance to each other than in slalom but less than in super G....
.
On the World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
circuit, Záhrobská made her debut in 2002–03
2003 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 37th World Cup season began in October 2002 on Sölden, Austria, and concluded in March 2003 at the World Cup finals in Lillehammer, Norway. The overall winners were Stephan Eberharter of Austria and Janica Kostelić of Croatia....
and finished 5th in her first race, a knock-out slalom (an experimental format using a series of elimination races) in Sestriere
Sestriere
Sestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. She ended the 2004
2004 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 38th World Cup season began in October 2003 in Sölden, Austria, and concluded at the World Cup finals in Sestriere, Italy, in March 2004. Sestriere would host the alpine skiing events at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
and 2006
2006 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 40th World Cup season began in October 2005 and concluded at the World Cup finals in Åre, Sweden, in March 2006. The schedule included a nearly month-long break in February for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy....
seasons ranked in the top 10 in slalom, and broke into the top 30 in the overall ranking in 2006. She is enjoying her finest season thus far in 2006–7
2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 41st World Cup season was scheduled to begin on October 28, 2006, but cancellation of the opening races in Sölden delayed the season's start by two weeks. A very poor snowpack in the Alps, along with stormy weather in January, caused numerous races to be moved and rescheduled throughout the...
, ranking 4th in combined, 5th in slalom, and 10th in the overall standings before the mid-season break for the World Championships. She also reached the podium in a World Cup race for the first time, finishing 3rd in the slalom on January 4, 2007, at Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, and followed it up only 3 days later with 2nd place in the slalom at Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
. This ended a 21-year long drought for Czech Alpine skiers on the World Cup podium, since Olga Charvátová
Olga Charvátová
Olga Charvátová is a retired Czech alpine skier who represented Czechoslovakia. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Charvátová won a bronze medal in the downhill event.-Individual victories:- References :...
took 2nd place in Bromont, Quebec
Bromont, Quebec
Bromont is a city in southwestern Quebec in Canada, 75 kilometres east of Montreal on Autoroute 10, bordering the Eastern Townships at the base of Mount Brome . The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 6,049....
on March 22, 1986
1986 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 20th World Cup season began in August 1985 in Argentina, resumed in December, and concluded in March 1986 in Canada. The overall champions were Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg and Maria Walliser of Switzerland.-Calendar:Note:...
.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, she earned a bronze medal in the Slalom
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Women's slalom
The women's slalom competition of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was held at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, British Columbia on February 26, 2010.The race was held in challenging weather conditions of fog, snow, and warm temperatures...
. This made her the first Czech to ever medal in Alpine skiing for the Czech Republic and just the second Czech ever, once again joining Olga Charvátová
Olga Charvátová
Olga Charvátová is a retired Czech alpine skier who represented Czechoslovakia. At the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Charvátová won a bronze medal in the downhill event.-Individual victories:- References :...
, who won a bronze in the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
while competing for Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Záhrobská has also won numerous medals at the National Alpine Skiing Championships of the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and other nations. She has been the National Champion (i.e. gold medalist) at the Czech (2002: slalom; 2003: slalom, giant slalom, and Super G; 2004: slalom, giant slalom; 2005: slalom, giant slalom; 2006: Super G), Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n (2006: giant slalom), and Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n (2006: giant slalom) national championships. Her giant slalom victory at the 2006 Croatian championships was by a narrow 0.15 second margin over Janica Kostelić
Janica Kostelic
Janica Kostelić is a retired alpine ski racer from Croatia. She is the only woman to win four gold medals in alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics , and the only woman to win three alpine skiing gold medals in one Olympics ....
, who had just beaten Záhrobská for the Super G title the previous day and was coming off one of the most dominant seasons in World Cup skiing history.
Šárka Záhrobská and her brother Petr Záhrobský
Petr Záhrobský
Petr Záhrobský is an alpine skier from Czech Republic. He competed for Czech Republic at the 2002 Olympics, 2006 Olympics and the 2010 Olympics. His best result was 24th in the Super-G in the 2002 Olympics....
are the only skiers of the Ski Team Krkonoš. Their personal coach is their father Petr Záhrobský. The team has not had good relationships with the Czech Ski Association. The coach protested, especially after the association officials approved the rule that Czech skiers have to prefer their home competitions to the foreign ones, and refused to follow it, stating that Záhrobská needs better rivals to remain a premier international skier. Šárka Záhrobská also does not prepare with the rest of the Czech national team because her father believes it would disadvantage her career.
Both Šárka Záhrobská and her brother Petr Záhrobský race on Head
Head (company)
Head N.V. is a sports equipment and clothing company, known mainly for their alpine skis and tennis racquets. Founded as a ski company in Baltimore, Maryland, the company is currently headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Kennelbach, Austria...
skis.
Individual World Cup victories
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2008 |  Aspen |
Slalom |
| 29 November 2009 | Aspen |
Slalom |
External links
- Official website (Czech, English)
- Profile at SKI-DB