Cross-country skier Vesna Fabjan will be carrying the Slovenian flag at the opening of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
The Slovenian Olympic Committee opted for a new selection method for the flag bearer this year – public voting via social networks. In the end the difference between Vesna Fabjan and ice hockey player Mitja Robar was just six votes. The final result delighted the experienced cross-country skier, who admitted that she would be nervous during the opening ceremony: "I know that the voting result was close, it was like in a photo finish. It’s a really responsible task, you’re the first to bring in the Olympic team and it will be a bit stressful."
At the 2018 Olympic Games, Slovenia will have athletes in 9 sports disciplines – Alpine skiing, the biathlon, snowboarding, ice hockey, the Nordic combined, ski cross, cross-country skiing and luge competitions. The highest number of athletes, 25, comes from the Slovenian Olympic ice hockey team. Slovenia will have one athlete in the ski cross and luge competitions.
A record eight medals in Sochi
Four years ago Slovenia’s athletes brought home eight Olympic medals. Thanks to skier Tina Maze two of those were gold. Among the medal winners in Sochi were also ski jumper Peter Prevc, snowboarder Žan Košir, biathlete Teja Gregorin and cross-country skier Vesna Fabjan.
Alpine skiing: Boštjan Kline, Martin Čater, Klemen Kosi, Miha Hrobat, Žan Kranjec, Štefan Hadalin, Ana Drev, Tina Robnik, Meta Hrovat, Ana Bucik, Maruša Ferk.
Ski jumping: Jernej Damjan, Peter Prevc, Tilen Bartol, Anže Semenič, Timi Zajc, Urša Bogataj, Špela Rogelj, Nika Križnar, Ema Klinec.
Ski cross: Filip Flisar.
Snowboarding: Rok Marguč, Žan Košir, Tim Mastnak, Tim Kevin Ravnjak, Tit Štante, Gloria Kotnik, Kaja Verdnik.
Cross-country skiing: Miha Šimenc, Janez Lampič, Katja Višnar, Alenka Čebašek, Vesna Fabjan, Nika Razinger, Anamarija Lampič, Manca Slabanja.
Biathlon: Jakov Fak, Klemen Bauer, Miha Dovžan, Mitja Drinovec, Lenart Oblak, Urška Poje, Anja Eržen.
Nordic combined: Vid Vrhovnik, Marjan Jelenko.
Luge: Tilen Sirše.
Ice hockey: Luka Gračnar, Matija Pintarič, Gašper Krošelj, Blaž Gregorc, Sabahudin Kovačevič, Aleš Kranjc, Žiga Pavlin, Matic Podlipnik, Jurij Repe, Mitja Robar, Luka Vidmar, Boštjan Goličič, Andrej Hebar, Žiga Jeglič, Anže Kuralt, Jan Muršak, Aleš Mušič, Ken Ograjenšek, Žiga Pance, David Rodman, Marcel Rodman, Robert Sabolič, Rok Tičar, Jan Urbas, Miha Verlič.
