Before the final World Cup meet at Planica, we talked to the former top ski jumper, and later president of the Slovenian Ski Association, Primož Ulaga. How does he assess this season, why is coach Goran Janus so successful, what's Peter Prevc's market value, and why don't Slovene companies invest more money in Slovenia’s athletes?

How do you assess this year's season for Slovenia's ski jumping team?
I can only talk in superlatives! Maybe only December didn't turn out the way we wished, but otherwise the rest of the season has been remarkable. It was unbelievable that at one point Slovenia's national team was even a contender for winning the Nations Cup. And that's what I've always been talking about. That should always be our goal, considering the conditions for training and infrastructure we have, which are not that bad. Coach Goran Janus proved that and has once again taken things a step forward.

Did you expect Peter Prevc to arrive at the final meet in Planica as the second-ranked jumper in the World Cup, and even with a chance to win the big crystal globe?
I always considered Prevc a great potential, but I didn't expect him to be "up there" with all the greats so soon – although in ski jumping anything is possible. After the New Year tour he had a series of great results, and all of a sudden he had the yellow jersey on him.

Everyone will now expect him to win the globe next season. Will that be a burden for him?
If he starts trailing by 200 points after a few races at the beginning of the next season, we could have a similar story like the one with Tina Maze this winter, when the media started putting pressure on her. Let's hope that Goran Janus chooses the right strategy again this summer. So far things have only been going upwards. But of course, it can happen for a coach to also make a mistake.

Why wasn't Jaka Hvala among the best this season?
Even last year, when he once won a World Cup meet, there were flaws in his jump, but he managed well then. Something is wrong when he takes off from the hill. It's strange, but there seems to be no synchronization. That's why his jumps can't be compared to those of the best jumpers. However next season everything might change and he could once again be at the top. Everyone trains well during the summer. They put focus both on the technique and their physical condition.

Slovenia's youth team is also promising. At Planica, thanks to the so-called national packet, Slovenia will have 13 jumpers!
Regarding our young jumpers, at Planica we'll surely be asking ourselves: who is that? There are a few boys capable of achieving good results. And it's interesting how all that has changed. We always envied the Austrians for their youth, now it's the other way around. It's the result of good work. There's a lot of self-confidence and no philosophizing. I like Goran's way of thinking and he is certainly most responsible for all the success.

It seems as though Goran has also developed a friendly relationship with his athletes, and that he's able to "govern" without a hard first...
I don't know if that's really true. It may seem that way from the outside, when he just smiles and says: everything is ok. But he can also be very determined and uncompromising. He says: "That's how it's going to be and that’s the end of it. No debate." If you start talking a lot, you can quickly lose control. Believe me, Goran sometimes also says: "I'll think about that, you just do what I said."

Peter Prevc moaned during the season that he always gets asked the same questions from the media. Will he be able to handle an even bigger attention from the media after this year's excellent season?
Do you think that Federer, Đoković or Bolt don't have those kinds of responsibilities? It's a business and you have to take it as it is. Sponsors want you, the media wants you, it's normal. Do you think they leave Schlierenzauer alone? He has sponsors who invest in him and they want to take advantage of that. But in Slovenia there is very little of that. If Red Bull wants him to go on a promotion tour, he'll have to go. If a multi-national company "buys" Prevc, they would want to have him at the opening of stores, at shows, on gigantic billboards, doing commercials…

Why do you say that these things are not so developed in Slovenia?
It happens that company managers often say: well what good would that bring us? I don't know, I guess there's less competition and no real need for companies to "throw themselves" out there, as they have to in a market of 80 million people. In Slovenia six companies sponsor all sports events. Ideas are quickly created, as there's no need to overdo it. Now, after the Olympic Games, I'm really interested to see what our creative directors will come up with, and whether companies will "fight over" Slovenia's medal winners.

Can we guess Peter Prevc's current market value? Can we compare him with Gregor Schlierenzauer.
The Austrians earn the most with logos on their helmets. With Slovenia's jumpers that's not possible. If there was enough space for marketing on the helmet, Prevc could find an interested multi-national company. Red Bull, for example, which currently also has Schlierenzauer and Morgenstern.

Does any one of them get a million euros per season?
Rumour is that Schlierenzauer gets that much. But we're talking about Austria and Germany – completely different markets than Slovenia.

What would be your financial advice to Tina Maze? After winning two gold medals, it seems to be a "sin" to finish your career ...
It's simple to say: continue for one more season. But only an athlete knows how much sacrifice and work is put into every season. As fans we only tend to look at the figures. Athletes also consider whether they still have the energy to undergo the difficult preparation stage. It's even more difficult with females older than 30, as they also start thinking about motherhood.

At the end can we also ask about your view on the current leadership at the Slovenian Ski Association?
What is worst is that those in charge have no prior experience of being active in sports. That's not good for the image or when making new acquaintances in sports circles. Time will show. This year we did have top-level results, but we live in unfavourable times for marketing.