Dorota Dorota Tlalka-Mogore PAP/Wojciech Kryński
Sept. 26 — After a long and hard battle with disease, Dorota Tlalka-Mogore died this Thursday at age 62.
Early life
Originally from the premier Polish ski town of Zakopane, Tłalka-Mogore was born to a 16-time speed skating champion father, Jan Tlalka, and a cross-country skiing mother, Włada. In addition, her twin sister, Małgorzata Tłalka, continued the family snow sports legacy, competing in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.
Career highlights
Over the course of her 43 World Cup starts representing both her homeland of Poland and later France, her husband Christian Mogore’s country, she scored 29 World Cup top-10 finishes.
At the same time, at the 1982 World Championships in Schladming, she came within two-tenths of a second of making Polish history. She narrowly missed the chance to become the nation’s first medalist at a major skiing championship and finished fourth in the slalom.
Furthermore, the best of her results came during her 32 starts for Poland, when she reached the podium on five occasions, including a historic win in Madonna di Campiglio in December 1984.
Later in her career, racing for France, she continued to perform at the highest level. She scored four major championship top-10 results and managed a personal Olympic best of eighth place while flying the French flag at the 1988 Calgary Games.
Huge loss
As a result, her death represents a significant loss for the Polish skiing community. She led the family name that trailblazed the sport in her country throughout the 1980s, leaving behind a legacy that still resonates today.
Click on the image to see Dorota Tlalka-Mogore’s Madonna di Campiglio winning run
About the Author: Matt Garcka
