Matej VIDOVIC

NATIONAL TEAM
Was briefly dropped from the Croatian team for the 2020/21 season for failure to achieve the set goals and expected results, and due to the uncertain economic situation and the necessary reduction of their program. It turns out that he was kicked out after the worse season that ended for slalom skiers in early February due to numerous race cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that season he had finished 12th in the Zagreb World Cup slalom (a career-best), and won the Croatian slalom title. He was named again to the team in April 2021. (sportske.jutarnji.hr, 2 May 2020; newsline.news, 20 Apr 2021)

IMPOSSIBLE ODDS
Had a career-best season in 2020/21, with his best World Cup (12th in Zagreb), a successful World Championships, and a couple more top-30 results, which got him into the top-30 at the end of the season, after starting the season ranked 78th.

COACHING FATHER
His father sacrificed a lot to coach him but said he was going to invest his son with time and effort and it turned out. "I begged him for help, even though he said he couldn't do it anymore. He spent, he did two jobs so far, he was my serviceman and coach, he set the track, made plans, drove when needed, he did everything live. He said he would help me with arranging the skis and planning as much as he could, as many possibilities as he could and the rest was up to me." (sportske.jutarnji.hr, 2 May 2020)

VOLUNTEER MILITARY TRAINING
In 2019, he was a part of voluntary military training for athletes with the Croatian Army in Pozega, an eight-week program designed for top athletes. (nacional.hr, 3 Jun 2019)

© Data by Sports Data Warehouse

In the slalom at two Olympic Winter Games, he finished 28th at Sochi 2014, and did not finish run one at PyeongChang 2018.

Competed in the slalom at six World Championships with a career-best finish of 12th in 2021.

At three Junior World Championships, he produced three top-15 results: seventh (2012), 11th (2013), and 14th (2014).