Zrinka Ljutic: Fuelled by soft rock, Croatia’s rising star is ready to hit the high notes in alpine skiing’s generational shift
In this exclusive chat, the 20-year-old shared how, with the help of a new music playlist, she plans to reduce her DNFs and become a World Cup contender in 2025
Alpine Skiing
When will the Gen Z of rising alpine skiers take over? “Pretty soon, I think,” says 20-year-old Zrinka Ljutic confidently.
The Croatian, who was named Best Rookie of the 2023/24 World Cup season, is leading a generation of young talents born in the new millennium who are making waves in the sport - from World Cup winners Alice Robinson and Alexander Steen Olsen to Switzerland's budding star Franjo von Allmen and Albania’s teenage prodigy Lara Colturi.
“When you look at the age of these skiers now in the World Cup, they are mostly older, and I think a lot of them will retire soon, maybe in a season or two,” Ljutic told Olympics.com during the Atomic Media Day held in October.
“So that leaves up a lot of space for the new, younger generation. And there are some great skiers coming up, definitely.”
And Ljutic gave clear notice that she is ready to step up by securing her first World Cup win in the last race of 2024 - the Semmering slalom in Austria - by a massive 1.75 seconds.
Zrinka Ljutic made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, finishing 25th in slalom and 28th in giant slalom.
Zrinka Ljutic: ‘I want to be the best’
Since making her World Cup debut in 2020 at just 16, the Croatian has lived up to the high expectations surrounding her by making consistent progress.
She reached her first podium in early 2023, and last season, she collected three second-place finishes, all in slalom, before finishing the campaign eighth in the discipline’s rankings.
This season, she claimed her first podium in giant slalom at Killington, finishing second. “I’ve had quite a few starts already and some podiums, so I’m happy with my progress so far,” she said.
“It didn’t always seem like it was going upwards but when I look back, it’s clear that I’ve been steadily growing. As long as it’s moving forward, I think that’s really good.”
However, the 2022 junior world champion remains hungry for more and doesn’t shy away from her lofty ambitions, admitting: “That's what I work for. I want to be the best, of course. But definitely I really sense that I'm on a good path.”
“I want to make it inevitable that I'll be competitive to win a globe in a few years.” - Zrinka Ljutic to Olympics.com
Finding the right formula
The Zagreb native spent the European summer training in the winter conditions of the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia in Argentina, alongside World Cup stalwarts such as Olympic medallists Henrik Kristoffersen and Federica Brignone. Ljutic now hopes to continue making strides. “I’m on a good path with the way I work, with my team and with my partners. I really sense that things are heading in a good direction for me,” she admitted.
This season, she has also benefited from more personalised technical support regarding her equipment. “I’ve come to a point where I can start fitting models to me more. I can come to Atomic and say, ‘OK, can you make me this kind of ski? What do you think? If we make this, I would prefer that,' whereas before I always had to fit into some type of [existing] skis,” Ljutic explained.
She is aware that there is still “a lot of room for improvement”, but also confident that she is finding the right formula for success. One area she is working on is her tactical approach to race day.
“It’s not just enough if you ski well in training," she says. "It’s also how you can transfer that on to race day and recognise what’s needed and what’s not, and adjusting accordingly - whether it’s the snow, the course set, or how I need to be activated.”
A new playlist for the season
Ljutic has embraced the new season with a fresh mindset… and a new playlist.
If two years ago she found inspiration in the hard-hitting beats of Led Zeppelin and Foo Fighters, ‘Zizi’ now admits that those tunes “are not so popular anymore” and is seeking a different vibe: “I’m more calm now. I listen to more soft rock and more like 70s rock-folk stuff. I like Dire Straits. I like Leonard Cohen. It’s kind of more chill, but also some drum and bass. Maybe drum and bass will be my race playlist because it gets me pumping!”
Getting fired up - but not too much - is what Zrinka needs on race day. Last season, she failed to finish six times out 22 starts. “I think it’s just how I ski. I kind of have this style that I just really go for it,” she said.
“When things click, and they will, then I don’t see a reason why I would DNF so often.”
Ljutic’s growing World Cup experience, combined with her work with a mental coach, has shifted her approach - being fast but also smart. “I see now that it’s not the most efficient way to just go all-in and push as hard as you can,” she shared.
“[I’ve learned] not to gain too much speed that I’m going to eventually lose, but rather ski more optimally and more effectively.”
Fans focus on Croatia’s dynamic duo
The results of Ljutic and Filip Zubcic on the men’s side have reignited interest in the sport in Croatia, something that hasn’t happened since the ‘golden era’ of legendary siblings Janica and Ivica Kostelic. “Everyone is watching skiing in Croatia again, and it’s becoming a thing, which is nice to see,” said Ljutic.
“Our fans can be very euphoric, but they need to understand that any achievement in the World Cup for Croatians is really, really impressive when you consider where we come from and how limited resources we have compared to other nations.”
Ljutic is also hoping to see plenty of Croatian fans cheering her on at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026: “I feel very happy about it and excited to see such a big event close to my home. It’s a more familiar environment than Beijing, where no one really skis. So I’m looking forward to skiing on familiar snow and in more ‘normal’ winter conditions.”
On the slopes of Cortina d'Ampezzo, the venue for the women’s events, she also anticipates a warm local crowd, saying: “It’s well known that Italian fans are great people - they’re very enthusiastic and cheer not just for Italians, but for other nations as well. I think I can expect a great race, one that’s going to be loud, engaging and fun.”