Rok BenkoviÄ
Rok Benkovič ( born March 20, 1986 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia ) is a former Slovenian ski jumper.
Career
Benkovič made his international debut as part of the Ski Jumping Continental Cup for season 1999 /2000. He reached 20 points at the end of the 127th place overall. His debut in the Ski Jumping World Cup he gave on 21 December 2001 in Predazzo. Already in his second World Cup ski jumping competition on the same day he won it with the 26th rank first World Cup points. Despite this success, four days later he moved back to the Continental Cup, where he at first with rank 18 could jump into the top 20 again in St. Moritz.
In the Nordic Junior World Ski Championships 2002 in Schonach he won jointly with Bine Zupan, Zvonko Kordež and Jaka Oblak the bronze medal in the team competition behind the teams from Finland and Austria. In the individual competition on the normal hill he reached 24th place in his first Continental Cup in Gallio he reached sixth place with a first place in the top ten. In the summer of 2002 he was able to increase its performance and reached the second place in Calgary his first podium of career. After another third place while jumping on the Utah Olympic Park in Park City Jumps Benkovič moved firmly into the World Cup squad. Right away he was doing at the World Cup kick-off the 2002/03 season in Kuusamo with rank 16 is a good performance. Subsequently, however, it get no more points wins, so he left in December, the World Cup squad and went again in January 2003 in the Continental Cup at the start. He missed in Seefeld in Tirol fourth just under the podium. After he achieved only mixed results in the other competitions, he achieved a second place finish at the FIS competitions at Villach and a win in the junior jumping team in Planica. Subsequently, he won with the team at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2003 Junior in Sollefteå the silver medal in the team competition. Even in the single of the normal hill he won silver. Just two weeks later, he started at senior level at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. He reached with the team in the team competition sixth. In the individual competitions Benkovič jumped up the ranks 23 and 31
In March 2003, he returned to the World Cup. When jumping in Oslo he jumped for a fifth place finish at the World Cup team to eighth place in the individual be until then the best individual score in the World Cup. After more good results and a 41st place in the overall standings, Benkovič was strengthened in the summer season. In Velenje he reached second place at the Continental Cup podium again. In Ski Jumping Grand Prix, he stood with his third place in the team competition in Hinterzarten also on the podium. After more good results and a second place while jumping in Innsbruck he finished the Grand Prix 2003 season in fourth place overall.
The season 2003/ 04 was in the sequel to his most successful World Cup season. He was jumping all three exceptions always within the points. At the end, he finished with 343 points 17th place in the World Cup overall standings. In the Ski Flying World Championships 2004 in Planica he came at the end on the 21th Place and was with the team in sixth.
In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 in Oberstdorf, he surprisingly won the gold medal in the competition on the normal hill. He had won up to that time not a single World Cup competitions. He is also by Franci Petek in Predazzo 1991 only the second Slovenian ski jumper who could win a gold medal at the world championships. With the team he won the bronze medal on the normal hill.
At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin Benkovič reached the 29th place of the normal and the 49th place on the large hill. In the team competition, he was with Robert Kranjec, Primoz Peterka and Jernej Damjan end up on the tenth rank.
After the Olympics Benkovič no longer found his way back into the world top. In May 2007, at the age of only 21 years, announced Benkovič to end his career due to lack of motivation and because of lack of success.
Achievements
World Cup rankings
Continental rankings
FIS Cup rankings
Weblink
- Commons: Rok Benkovič - collection of images, videos and audio files
- Rok Benkovič in the database of the FIS ( English)
- Rok Benkovič at Sports- Reference.com (English)