OLYMPICS: Hockey Captain to Carry Slovenian Flag at Sochi Opening
Sochi, 7 February - The 2014 Winter Olympics will get under way in Sochi on Friday with an opening ceremony that will also feature representatives of a 65-strong Slovenian team, the biggest to date. Tomaž Razingar will bear the Slovenian flag as the captain of the first Slovenian ice hockey team to make it to the Olympics.
Brnik
Slovenian team departing for Sochi Winter Olympics.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
While the ice hockey team stand little chance of advancing in a group that includes powerhouses US, Russia and Slovakia, Slovenia will be looking to improve on two silvers and one bronze medal secured in Vancouver four years ago.
Skiing star Tina Maze, the ski jumpers and alpine snowboarders are considered the main medal favourites.
It was Maze, last years's overall women's World Cup winner, who won both silvers in Canada and she feels confident ahead of Sochi despite currently ranking 5th in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.
A second spotlight is reserved for the ski jumpers, who managed thirteen individual podium finishes and won both team competitions in what has been their best season to date. 21-year-old Peter Prevc has been standing out and is presently ranked second in the World Cup standings.
The snowboarders are harbouring high hopes as well and at least two athletes, especially the third-ranked in the World Cup Žan Košir, can be counted among the favourites both in the parallel slalom and giant slalom races.