Croatia’s Jelusic to sit out 2012 season due to asthma

Croatian ski racer Ana Jelusic has decided to pull out of next year’s World Cup tour due to complications with asthma, which she has battled for the last ten years.
 
The two-time World Cup podium finisher (both in 2007) made the announcement  last week at a press conference in Zagreb.

“This is probably the toughest decision in my professional life. I want to try to recover from my asthma to the extent possible,” said Jelusic. “We have tried to keep it under control all these years, but I could never give my best in racing. Now my body says you need to get some rest.”

Looking at the calendar, the upcoming season was the only season it makes sense to take off. My return can be in six months, in nine, twelve, and even longer. Everything depends on my health,” said Jelusic

Jelusic, who has been competing on the World Cup since 2002 and is a three-time Olympian, made the decision in order to put her health first.

“It’s not something that happened this season because of having struggled with asthma for ten years. However, at the World Cup in Courchevel, when I practically ‘hid’ behind a banner and coughed before the start, I started thinking. I mean, it really makes no sense to me that after the race, skiers ask how my health is, not how my race went,” said Jelusic. “Thinking about vomiting, and not about the race and skiing is absurd. My health is priority and not worth gambling with.”

Quotes and information from fisalpine.com