Ilka Štuhec

Ilka Štuhec (born 26 October 1990) is a Slovenian World Cup alpine ski racer, focusing on the speed events of downhill and super-G. She was a three-time junior world champion in three different disciplines, and was the world champion in downhill in 2017 and 2019.

Ilka Štuhec

Štuhec at Garmisch in 2017
Personal information
Born	(1990-10-26) 26 October 1990 (age 34) Slovenj Gradec, SFR Yugoslavia
Occupation	Alpine skier
Skiing career
Disciplines	Downhill, super-G
Club	ASK Branik Maribor
World Cup debut	17 March 2007 (age 16)
Website	ilka.si
Olympics
Teams	2 – (2014, 2022)
Medals	0
World Championships
Teams	6 – (2013–2023)
Medals	2 (2 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	15 – (2007–2008, 2010, 2012–2017, 2019–2024)
Wins	11 – (7 DH, 3 SG, 1 AC)
Podiums	22 – (14 DH, 5 SG, 3 AC)
Overall titles	0 – (2nd in 2017)
Discipline titles	2 – (DH, AC in 2017)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing  Slovenia International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 0 World Championships 2 0 0 Total 2 0 0 World Championships 2017 St. Moritz Downhill 2019 Åre Downhill Junior World Championships 2007 Flachau Slalom 2007 Flachau Combined 2008 Formigal Downhill

Career

At the 2007 World Junior Alpine Skiing Championships in Flachau, Austria, Štuhec won two gold medals in slalom and combined.^[1] The following year, she won another gold in downhill in Formigal, Spain.^[2] She made her World Cup debut in March 2007 at the age of 16 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

Štuhec gained her first World Cup victories in December 2016, back-to-back wins in downhill at Lake Louise.^[3] She had consecutive wins two weeks later in Val d'Isère, France,^[4] and won her fifth event of the 2017 season in late January in Italy.^[5] At the 2017 World Championships in February, she won the gold medal in downhill,^[6][7] and clinched the World Cup season title in combined two weeks later.^[8] At the finals in mid-March she secured another title in downhill,^[9] and was the runner-up for the season in super-G and overall.

Štuhec was sidelined for the entire 2017–18 season, including the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, due to a left knee injury (ACL) in October 2017.^[10] She returned to the winner's circle with consecutive World Cup victories in Val Gardena in December 2018,^[10] and successfully defended her World Championships title in downhill in February 2019.^[11][12] Two weeks later, a crash at Crans-Montana injured the same knee (PCL); it was reported that she would recover without surgery.^[13]

World Cup results

Season titles

• 2 titles – (1 combined, 1 downhill)

Season	Discipline
2017	Combined
	Downhill

Season standings

Season	Overall	Slalom	Giant slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
2008	89	—	—	—	44	26
2012	81	—	—	—	27	—
2013	59	—	—	36	25	15
2014	44	—	47	17	28	—
2015	41	—	—	28	22	—
2016	33	—	—	12	25	29
2017	2	35	34	2	1	1
2018	Injured in October, out for the season
2019	10	—	46	11	4	—
2020	32	—	—	28	15	—
2021	42	—	—	40	14	—
2022	53	—	—	—	21
2023	11	—	—	30	2
2024	29	—	—	26	8

Source:^[14]

Race victories

• 11 wins – (7 DH, 3 SG, 1 AC)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline
2017	2 December 2016	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	3 December 2016		Downhill
	16 December 2016	Val d'Isère, France	Combined
	17 December 2016		Downhill
	29 January 2017	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Super-G
	25 February 2017	Crans-Montana, Switzerland	Super-G
	15 March 2017	Aspen, United States	Downhill
2019	18 December 2018	Val Gardena, Italy	Downhill
	19 December 2018		Super-G
2023	21 January 2023	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	15 March 2023	Soldeu, Andorra	Downhill

World Championship results

Year	Slalom	Giant   slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
2013	—	32	6	19	DNF2
2015	—	25	17	20	7
2017	—	DNF2	11	1	DNF2
2019	—	—	8	1	10
2021	—	—	25	14	—
2023	—	—	12	6	DNS2

Source:^[15]

Olympic Games results

Year	Slalom	Giant   slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
2014	—	31	13	10	DNF2
2018	Did not compete
2022	—	—	—	22	—

Source:^[16]

References

1. "Mladinska svetovna slalomska prvakinja še Ilka Štuhec, zlata tudi v kombinaciji". sloski.si (in Slovenian). 11 March 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
2. "Ilka Štuhec mladinska svetovna prvakinja v smuku". Delo (in Slovenian). 26 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
3. "Slovenia's Ilka Stuhec completes Lake Louise downhill sweep". Associated Press. 4 December 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
4. "Unstoppable Ilka Stuhec wins third downhill in a row". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. 17 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
5. Lisjak, Mitja (29 January 2017). "Ilka Štuhec zmagala v Cortini d'Ampezzo!" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
6. M. R. (12 February 2017). "Smukaška kraljica Ilka si je po zlatu dala duška in zakričala" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
7. "Stuhec golden in St. Moritz downhill". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. 12 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
8. T. O. (26 February 2017). "Ilka Štuhec zdržala pritisk in osvojila mali globus" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
9. M. L. (15 March 2017). "Video: Zmagovita Ilka najboljša smukačica na svetu!" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
10. "Ilka Stuhec wins downhill for first victory since injury". ESPN. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
11. "Ilka Stuhec successfully defends downhill gold in Åre". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. 10 February 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
12. "Stuhec spoils Vonn's farewell party at skiing worlds". ESPN. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
13. "Downhill world champion Stuhec opts to avoid knee surgery". ESPN. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
14. "STUHEC Ilka – Cups". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
15. "STUHEC Ilka – FIS World Ski Championships". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
16. "STUHEC Ilka – Olympic Winter Games". fis-ski.com. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

External links

• Official website (in Slovene and English)
• Ilka Štuhec at FIS (alpine)
• Ilka Štuhec at Olympedia
• Ilka Štuhec at Ski-DB Alpine Ski Database

Olympic Games
Preceded by Vesna Fabjan	Flagbearer for  Slovenia Beijing 2022	Succeeded by Incumbent