Former U.S. ski racer Lila Lapanja obtained approval from the Worldwide Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to vary nations. The 29-year-old twin citizen will ski for Slovenia for the 24/25 FIS World Cup season. Whereas Lapanja was born in Truckee, California, her father Vojko hails from Slovenia and moved to the usas a pupil.
Lila Lapanja grew up in Incline Village, Nevada, and discovered to ski from her father, a retired alpine ski racer himself, on the age of two. She made the U.S. Ski Crew at solely 16 years of age after two profitable Nor-Am seasons with a number of victories. Lapanja made her World Cup debut in 2015 in Aspen, Colorado, on the age of 21. She is a Slalom specialist however has additionally competed in Large Slalom and Tremendous-G occasions.
Lapanja was dropped from the U.S. Ski Crew in 2017, that means all monetary assist for her racing profession disappeared. Lapanja, nonetheless, didn’t give up and continued to compete as an unbiased athlete beneath the U.S. flag and managed to realize helpful FIS factors within the 23/24 season in Jasna, Slovakia. FIS factors are awarded solely to the highest 30 finishers of a race. Lapanja additionally gained the U.S. Slalom Nationals in March this 12 months, tying for first place with Australia’s Madi Hoffman. The transfer to the Slovenian workforce will hopefully imply higher monetary assist and coaching alternatives for Lapanja.
“I’m very blessed to have grown up racing within the USA and have the power to channel the American spirit by persevering by means of challenges and feeling free to take my probabilities. Now, I carry that angle with me to my different homeland, Slovenia, and can characterize this distinctive nation with the identical ardour, dedication, grit and style.”
— Lila Lapanja
Earlier this 12 months, Lapanja obtained approval from the U.S. governing physique, U.S. Ski and Snowboard, for the change to Slovenia. We want her the very best of luck for her transition to snowboarding beneath a brand new flag. The change needs to be simple as she is becoming a member of Slalom specialist Ana Bucik who Lapanja has skied towards her for greater than a decade. Lapanja can be fluent in English, Slovenian, and German, eroding any language limitations.
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