OLYMPICS: Slovenia Missed Hosting Olympics By a Whisker
Ljubljana, 5 February - In the late 1990s, Slovenia entered a joint bid for the 2006 Winter Olympics with the Austrian province of Carinthia and Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia, but lost to Italy's Turin.
Ljubljana
The logo of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia.
Photo: Tamino petelinšek/STA
File photo
Billed as a project designed to promote friendship among nations, the cross-border bid was considered a unique attempt for the small, two-million nation to host the Olympics.
While the Olympics have never taken place on its territory, Slovenia had Olympics unfolding practically in its courtyard in 1984 when Sarajevo hosted the Winter Games at the time when Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia.
The Sarajevo Winter Olympics were also important for Slovenia because they brought it the first Winter Olympic medal as Jure Franko won silver in giant slalom.