Regardless of his result in today's downhill race in Kvitfjell, which is still under way, Kostelic has already won the Crystal Globe, because his closest rivals, Didier Cuche and Sylvan Zurbriggen of Sitzerland and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway, did not make it to one of the top places.

Kostelic is the first Croatian skier who can boast to have the men's World Cup crown. He has already won two small globes, one in the slalom in 2002 and one in the combined this year. His sister Janica won the World Cup three times (2001, 2003, 2006) as well as seven small globes - four times in the combined (2001, 2003, 2005, 2006) and three in the slalom (2001, 2003, 2006).