The official opening of the Slovenia House will be on Saturday. It will be located near the Korean ski resort of Alpensia, where the ski jumping, biathlon, cross-country skiing, bobsled, luge and skeleton competitions will take place. At today's social event with athletes and journalists, the head of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, Bogdan Gabrovec, said: "I'm happy that we finally managed to prepare our Slovenia House. I think the last time we did it was at the winter games in Vancouver, and before that at the summer games in Beijing, when it was located far from all the happenings. I hope it will be a meeting point of happiness, nice events, and that it will be a Slovenian house in the real sense of the word. I believe that many things connected to the economy will also happen here. And we know that all sport, apart from the public finances it gets, is also in need of finances from other sources. I rarely do it, but this time I must praise our country from the bottom of my heart, as this year it set aside more funds for financing Slovenian sport, both in terms of investments and programs. I wish that our competitors don't feel too cold, and I wish them the best results."
The Olympic Games are not only the biggest sporting event in the world, but what happens at the sidelines of the games is also significant. The Slovenia House is an example of a country's promotion and the combining of sports with the economy. Athletes, journalists, sports workers, representatives of the Olympic committees and businessmen, will all be meeting there and will at the same time get to know Slovenia. The idea for the design of the house comes from the traditional Slovenian hayracks. The architectural style also features traditional Asian lanterns.

Petek: Athletes, believe in your abilities
On Wednesday, the Slovenia House also hosted Slovenia's male and female ski jumpers, biathletes, cross-country skiers, some of the snowboarders and the one luge competitor. They were addressed by former ski jumping star Franci Petek, a world champion from 1991, and the head of the Slovenian Olympic Team. He arrived in South Korea after successfully recovering from a knee injury with the help of the Olympic physiotherapy staff. Franci Petek: "The Olympic pulse is slowly getting into the right rhythm. You athletes are getting familiar with your competition venues. The opening will take place in two days, and then it's for real. Believe in yourselves and your abilities. But most of all know that you worked hard and that you have nothing to be afraid of. Just be brave. We're here with you, and for you."