The departure of Deborah Compagnoni from the tour in 1999 meant Isolde Kostner was the new leader of the Italian Ski Team. At 24, "Isi" as her friends like to call her, was ready to boost her career after two rather disappointing seasons in 1998 and 1999. In fact, she achieved a great season with four wins even if the failed at the end to clinch the downhill World Cup title which seemed so close. But at least, she confirmed her great qualities after two slower winters.

Kostner was not yet 19 in January 1994 when she won her first World Cup race, a downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen before clinching two Olympic bronze medals at Lillehammer in the speed events. In 1996, she became the first Italian women to take a gold medal in FIS World Championships after WW II when she dominated the Super-G at Sierra Nevada a few days before Copmagnoni's success in GS. As her brilliant colleague, she retained her title in 1997 at Sestriere but she faded somehow in 1998. Only 11th in the Olympic Super-G at Nagano, she celebrated a single success on the World Cup tour that winter, in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

In 1999, she reached several times the podium yet without winning and she left Vail without a medal.

During the next spring, this passionate ice-hockey player changed her surrounding and her training plans. This very articulated and determined athlete forced her national ski federation to let her train more by herself with the support of her long time trainer Valerio Ghirardi who was no longer part of the squad. Being more in charge of herself gave her a new momentum. Isolde took also more time to test her equipment and check every details. The hard work paid off: she won three races in November and December - her best start ever. Yet she struggled afterwards in January, especially in the races held by bad weather conditions. As Kristian Ghedina, Isolde can't reach her limits when the visibility isn't perfect.

She has also a hard time to handle the long jumps — in Altenmarkt, Austria, she was close to crash in the upper part of the course after dominating the training runs. She had again problems in Are, Sweden where she also finished far behind. On other slopes, as in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Lenzerheide or Bormio, she was handicapped by strong guts of wind or soft snow conditions. Finally, she lost the downhill standings despite her three wins — while Germany's Regina Haeusl was five times 2nd. At 25, Isolde Kostner is now entering her best years. The experience she gained from last season should help her to totally achieve her potential — and eventually became the first Italian to conquer the Overall World Cup standings.