Carlo Janka , born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, on October 15, 1986, is a Swiss Alpine skier recognized for his efficient style and poised determination in the sport. Hermann Maier's performance at the 1998 Olympics inspired him to focus on skiing. Janka debuted in the World Cup in December 2005 and later won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships. Janka's breakthrough came in November 2008, and he won his first World Cup race in the giant slalom at Val-d’Isere, France, in December. At the 2009 world championships, he won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill. He won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Janka retired shortly before the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

What sport is Carlo Janka known for?

Carlo Janka is a Swiss Alpine skier known for his poised determination and clean, efficient style, which helped him become one of the sport’s top all-around competitors in the early 21st century. He began skiing at age two and, inspired by Hermann Maier's performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics, focused exclusively on skiing. Janka's accomplishments include a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, as well as World Cup titles in the super combined and overall. Many observers attributed Janka’s success to his streamlined style and cool demeanor, which earned him the nickname “the Iceman”. Alpine skiing includes both speed and technical events like the downhill and super-G , as well as the slalom and giant slalom .

What are some of Carlo Janka's greatest achievements in skiing?

Carlo Janka , born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, is known for his achievements in Alpine skiing in the early 21st century. His accomplishments include a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships. At the 2009 world championships, Janka won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill, also securing the World Cup title in the super combined. Despite virus-related setbacks, he achieved victories in the super combined, downhill, and giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December 2009, and he won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Janka capped off the 2009–10 World Cup season by securing the overall title.

In which skiing events has Carlo Janka competed?

Carlo Janka , a Swiss Alpine skier, competed in various skiing events throughout his career. In February 2009, he won gold in the giant slalom and a bronze in the downhill at the world championships, also clinching the World Cup title in the super combined. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Janka won a gold medal in the giant slalom. He also secured the overall title for the 2009–10 World Cup season. At the 2018 Winter Games in P’yŏngch’ang, Janka finished 15th in the Alpine combined race.

How has Carlo Janka contributed to Switzerland’s success in international skiing competitions?

Carlo Janka, born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, significantly contributed to Switzerland's success in international skiing competitions in the early 21st century. Known for his clean, efficient style and poised determination, Janka's breakthrough came in 2008, leading to his first World Cup race victory in the giant slalom at Val-d’Isere, France. At the 2009 world championships, he won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill, also clinching the World Cup title in the super combined. His achievements include winning three different disciplines on consecutive days at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 2009 and securing a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Janka's consistent performance and versatility earned him the nickname "the Iceman" and the admiration of teammates and fans.

Carlo Janka

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Born:: October 15, 1986, Obersaxen, Switzerland (age 40)

Awards And Honors:: Winter Olympic Games; World Cup (2010)

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Carlo Janka

Swiss skier

Written by

John M. Cunningham

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Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 11, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who is Carlo Janka?
Carlo Janka, born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, on October 15, 1986, is a Swiss Alpine skier recognized for his efficient style and poised determination in the sport. Hermann Maier's performance at the 1998 Olympics inspired him to focus on skiing. Janka debuted in the World Cup in December 2005 and later won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships.

Janka's breakthrough came in November 2008, and he won his first World Cup race in the giant slalom at Val-d’Isere, France, in December. At the 2009 world championships, he won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill. He won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Janka retired shortly before the Beijing Olympics in 2022.
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1. Carlo Janka
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What sport is Carlo Janka known for?
Carlo Janka is a Swiss Alpine skier known for his poised determination and clean, efficient style, which helped him become one of the sport’s top all-around competitors in the early 21st century. He began skiing at age two and, inspired by Hermann Maier's performance at the 1998 Winter Olympics, focused exclusively on skiing. Janka's accomplishments include a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, as well as World Cup titles in the super combined and overall. Many observers attributed Janka’s success to his streamlined style and cool demeanor, which earned him the nickname “the Iceman”. Alpine skiing includes both speed and technical events like the downhill and super-G, as well as the slalom and giant slalom.
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Which country does Carlo Janka represent in skiing?
Carlo Janka is a Swiss Alpine skier. Born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, he began skiing at age two and went on to become one of the sport’s top all-around competitors. Janka competed in his first World Cup event in December 2005 and later won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships. His achievements include a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Many observers have attributed Janka’s success to his streamlined style and poised demeanor, which earned him the nickname “the Iceman” from his Swiss teammates.
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What are some of Carlo Janka's greatest achievements in skiing?
Carlo Janka, born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, is known for his achievements in Alpine skiing in the early 21st century. His accomplishments include a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships. At the 2009 world championships, Janka won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill, also securing the World Cup title in the super combined.

Despite virus-related setbacks, he achieved victories in the super combined, downhill, and giant slalom at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December 2009, and he won a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Janka capped off the 2009–10 World Cup season by securing the overall title.
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1. Carlo Janka
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In which skiing events has Carlo Janka competed?
Carlo Janka, a Swiss Alpine skier, competed in various skiing events throughout his career. In February 2009, he won gold in the giant slalom and a bronze in the downhill at the world championships, also clinching the World Cup title in the super combined. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Janka won a gold medal in the giant slalom. He also secured the overall title for the 2009–10 World Cup season. At the 2018 Winter Games in P’yŏngch’ang, Janka finished 15th in the Alpine combined race.
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1. Carlo Janka
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How has Carlo Janka contributed to Switzerland’s success in international skiing competitions?
Carlo Janka, born in Obersaxen, Switzerland, significantly contributed to Switzerland's success in international skiing competitions in the early 21st century. Known for his clean, efficient style and poised determination, Janka's breakthrough came in 2008, leading to his first World Cup race victory in the giant slalom at Val-d’Isere, France. At the 2009 world championships, he won gold in the giant slalom and bronze in the downhill, also clinching the World Cup title in the super combined. His achievements include winning three different disciplines on consecutive days at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in 2009 and securing a gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Janka's consistent performance and versatility earned him the nickname "the Iceman" and the admiration of teammates and fans.
1 Britannica Source
1. Carlo Janka
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Carlo Janka (born October 15, 1986, Obersaxen, Switzerland) is a Swiss Alpine skier whose clean, efficient style and poised determination helped establish him as one of the sport’s top all-around competitors in the early 21st century.

Janka was born in a mountain village in southeastern Switzerland and began skiing at age two. As a teenager he also played football (soccer), but Austrian skier Hermann Maier’s multiple-medal-winning performance at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, inspired him to focus exclusively on skiing. In December 2005, four years after his first Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS; International Ski Federation) race, Janka competed in his first World Cup event, and several months later he won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the FIS junior world championships.

Though Janka registered two top-10 finishes in World Cup events in early 2008, his real breakthrough came in November of that year, when he placed second in the downhill race at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, despite having been one of the last skiers on the course. The following month he won his first World Cup race with a victory in the giant slalom at Val-d’Isere, France. At the 2009 world championships in February, Janka scored two medals—a gold in the giant slalom and a bronze in the downhill—and later that month he clinched the World Cup title in the super combined.

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Despite having suffered from a virus in the summer that severely limited his off-season training, Janka returned to the World Cup circuit in late 2009 at the peak of his skills. In December, at Beaver Creek, Colorado, U.S., he scored victories in the super combined, downhill, and giant slalom, becoming the first man to win races in three different disciplines on consecutive days since legendary French skier Jean-Claude Killy did so in 1967. Janka’s continued domination positioned him as a strong favourite at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Though doubts mounted as he failed to finish higher than fourth in any of his first three races there, he finally met expectations with a gold medal in the giant slalom. He capped off the 2009–10 World Cup season, and further demonstrated his versatility, by securing the overall title. He won another World Cup race—a giant slalom—during the 2010–11 season, but the quality of his skiing grew worse in the lead-up to the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, where his best finish in four events was sixth place in the downhill. Four years later he appeared in just one event at the 2018 Winter Games in P’yŏngch’ang, South Korea, a 15th-place finish in the Alpine combined race. Over the next several seasons, Janka endured various injuries, and, shortly before the Beijing Olympics in 2022, he retired.

Many observers attributed Janka’s success on the slopes to his streamlined style, which eschewed flashy moves in favour of precisely controlled motion and balance. He was also admired for his cool demeanour, a quality that led his Swiss teammates to accord him the nickname “the Iceman.”

John M. Cunningham The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Carlo Janka

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