Slovenia’s latest alpine ski sensation Miha Oserban: In the footsteps of Tina Maze

The small village of Črna na Koroškem, nestled in the Slovenian mountains near the Austrian border, is renowned as the hometown of the country’s most successful alpine skier, Tina Maze.

"There was nothing else to do but ski," the Sochi 2014 Olympic champion once shared, reflecting on her upbringing in the northern region of Carinthia.

Over the years, this village has nurtured numerous talents through its local ski club and many of them went on to represent Slovenia at the Olympic level: alongside the iconic Maze, notable names include Katjuša Pušnik, Mitja Kunc, Aleš Gorza, and Tilen Debelak.

The club's latest rising star is Miha Oserban, a towering 17-year-old whose remarkable achievements at the youth level have already garnered attention.

“I started skiing when I was five years old. My mum and my dad signed me up for a ski class and I enjoyed it immediately. I achieved podium finishes in my early races, and that’s why I love skiing now,” Oserban told Olympics.com during an interview earlier this year, shortly after winning gold in the men's giant slalom event at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Tarvisio, Italy.

The Slovenian, who overcame rivals one year senior, revealed more about his blossoming career: "I was the national champion in the U16 class. Then I took part in some international races such as Alpe Cimbra, where I was first in slalom and fifth in giant slalom. I also participated in other events like the Loka Cup and the Pinocchio Trophy and I did well," he added about his early achievements.

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‘I want to be the new Tina Maze, but a male version!’

In recent years, Slovenia has established itself as a force in alpine skiing, driven by the historic accomplishments of Maze, who claimed four Olympic medals for the central European nation, including two golds. Maze also clinched four titles at the World Championships and made history in 2013 by securing the women's overall World Cup crystal globe with a record-breaking 2,414 points.

Building on this legacy, Ilka Štuhec has upheld Slovenia's success, earning two crystal globes and two women's downhill world titles. The momentum continued with Žan Kranjec's impressive Olympic silver in men's giant slalom at Beijing 2022.

Looking ahead, the future appears promising, marked by the recent gold medals secured by Miha Oserban and Rok Aznoh at the EYOF 2023 and the junior world championships, respectively.

"I already trained with Zan and Aznoh, and they are great skiers. They provided valuable advice, especially during my first season with them, encouraging me to persevere and stay positive even if I couldn't immediately achieve my goals," teenager Oserban told us.

Drawing inspiration from the shared birthplace, Oserban feels a special connection with Maze and admires her as a role model. "Everybody knows her there," he remarked.

"She was an incredible racer. While I've had the chance to see her at public events in our town, I'm yet to have a one-on-one conversation with her and ask a few questions.

"Yeah, I want to be the new her, but a male version!"

Chasing Marcel Hirscher’s clean turns

Despite his strong physical build suggesting prowess for speed, Oserban feels more suited for the technical disciplines.

"Now [my favourite discipline] is probably giant slalom, before it was slalom," he said, adding that he considers retired Olympic champion Marcel Hirscher his main idol and source of inspiration, especially for his flawless technique.

Hard work is a must for the young Slovenian, who, at the beginning of the season, goes through a gruelling training circuit called 'Ironman,' which includes running, push-ups, and box jumps within a limited amount of time.

"Everybody with talent needs to work hard, because without hard work, basically you can’t achieve anything," he shared.

"There are times that I feel tired, but other times that I enjoy working hard because I want to achieve my goals. Even in countries with more resources, they still have to work hard.

"It’s not an easy sport, you need to work hard to get to the top."

Oserban is part of a younger generation of skiers who enjoy the sport: "That’s the whole point, you need to have fun," he said.

"The new generations coming into the World Cup have a new technique compared to the older ones, and I think the younger boys have an advantage because they have straighter lines and a cleaner turn," he added.

Miha is also aware that skiing is a 'mental sport': "My psychologist told me that mental preparation is everything, even more important than other stuff."

Before a race, he usually stays in a corner to watch the other racers ahead of him, and he starts visualising the ideal lines for his skiing: "When the adrenaline pumps in, it’s a good feeling for me. But it’s not good if you get it too fast, because you end up losing energy," he commented.

Preparing for Gangwon 2024

Outside the slopes, the 17-year-old describes himself as a “calm person” and explains why sport is part of his life: "In our country, sport is basically everything. We are good at basketball and basically every sport. I don't know why, it seems like we're talented at different sports,” he mentioned, echoing the success of Luka Dončić in basketball, Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič in cycling, and Janja Garnbret in sport climbing.

"I like trying new sports. I played football, but when I had to choose between skiing and football, I chose skiing," he added.

Oserban hopes to be selected to compete at the Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Gangwon 2024 in January, with teams set to be announced later in the year. He believes participating in the EYOF served as valuable preparation for a tilt at the medals: "It was definitely one of the strongest international races that I've been to. I learned that if you're not giving 100% in every run, you are basically behind everybody because everybody here gives 100 percent or even more. So you need to be at the top of your game to even compete with these guys."

Oserban already dipped his toes in elite skiing by representing Slovenia in the mixed team event at the last World Championships in France, and looks forward to furthering his development in the current season through FIS and Europa Cup events.

While his future remains to be written, the Slovenian is not afraid to dream big: "I hope that I’ll be the number one skier in the world one day. And I hope to win a gold medal also in the 'real' Olympic Games and win a big crystal globe," he concluded.