Vedrana Malec

{{Short description|Croatian cross-country skier (born 1990)}}

{{BLP sources|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Vedrana Malec

| image = FIS Skilanglauf-Weltcup in Dresden PR CROSSCOUNTRY StP 6906 LR10 by Stepro.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Malec at the FIS Cross-Country World Cup Dresden, January 2018

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|24 March 1990}}

| birth_place = Zagreb, Croatia

| height = {{convert|1.71|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|61|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| headercolor =

| show-medals =

| medaltemplates =

}}

Vedrana Malec ({{IPA|hr|ʋědrana mâlets}};{{cite web|url=http://hjp.znanje.hr/index.php?show=search_by_id&id=f19hUBZ6&keyword=vedar|title=vȅdar|quote=Vèdrana|website=Hrvatski jezični portal|access-date=18 March 2018|language=hr}} born 24 March 1990) is a Croatian cross-country skier{{Cite news|title=Biography|url=http://www.croski.hr/biografije/VedranaMalec.html|access-date=27 January 2014|language=hr}} who has been competing since 2006. She competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which was her first Winter Olympics. She was selected to carry the Croatian flag at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Malec has competed at two Nordic World Ski Championships. Her best finish is 58th place in skiathlon event at the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships. She won the 2012/13 edition of the FIS Balkan Cup in cross-country skiing, becoming the first Croatian cross-country skier to do so.{{cite news|title=Skijaško trčanje: Veliki uspjeh Vedrane Malec|url=http://www.skijanje.hr/vijesti/clanak/skijasko-trcanje--veliki-uspjeh-vedrane-malec?id=24641|website=Skijanje|date=2 April 2013|access-date=27 January 2014|language=hr}} She has competed three times in the Cross-Country World Cup. She has also competed at the 2013 Winter Universiade, where her best result was 30th place in the women's skiathlon.

Malec finished 59th in women's skiathlon at the 2014 Winter Olympics, her first race of the games. Three days later, Malec finished 61st in the qualification of women's sprint race, failing to qualify for the elimination stages. On day 6, she competed in 10 km classical race. She finished 59th, more than five minutes behind the race winner Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland. Her best result came in the last event of the women's program, 30 km freestyle mass start event, where she finished 53rd.

Malec also studied journalism at the University of Zagreb.{{Cite news|title=Intervju s Vedranom {{!}} Hrvatskom osvajačicom mnogih medalja u skijaškom trčanju|url=http://tejaeva.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/intervju-s-vedranom-malec-hrvatskom-osvajacicom-mnogih-medalja-u-skijaskom-trcanju/|date=8 January 2023|access-date=27 January 2014|language=hr}}