|
|||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
|
|
The Place - Stari Vrh, Slovenia Many of you will have heard of Slovenia, because in spite of its small size (both in terms of area and population - only about 2 million people), it is a world force in terms of sport. Per head of population, Slovenia won more medals than the USA at the most recent Olympic Games in Sydney. It lies at the western end of the former Yugoslavia, and shares borders with Italy, Austria and Croatia. It was the first nation to declare its independence very shortly after the start of the recent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and has concentrated since then on building up its industry, its agriculture and its sporting achievements. The two most important sports are firstly skiing, and secondly football . In the world of alpine ski racing, they have produced some of the greatest athletes who currently compete at World Cup level. To name just a few: Spela Pretnar, Jure Kosir, Andre Miklavc and Matjaz Vrhovnik. When you consider that the population of Slovenia is only about the same as that of Wales, it makes you wonder! Our flights will take us to the capital city - Ljubljana. From here it is only a short drive to Skofja Loka where the team will be staying. This is a beautiful unspoilt mediaeval city, with an old castle on the top of the hill, narrow cobbled streets, and a lovely river with some very old bridges. The visiting teams stay either in a hotel or in the local school, which is closed to pupils for the duration of the event. We are very grateful to the Ski Federation of Slovenia for inviting us to this event, and for their wonderful hospitality. The races are held either in Stari Vrh or in Soriska Planina (both about an hours transfer from Skofja Loka) depending on snow conditions. Notice the unusual hay racks! The Slovenians are a very musical race, and the Opening ceremony and prize giving ceremonies are accompanied by local folk music and colourful dancing. There is often a disco for all the athletes one evening during the event. Move to The Race or Pokal Loka 2009 |
