Without Ilka Štuhec, two medals for Slovenia at Winter Olympics
Ljubljana, 17 December - Ambitions were high as more than 70 Slovenian athletes took part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea in February, but the reality was different as the Slovenian team was without the star skier Ilka Štuhec, who was rehabilitating after a severe knee injury.
Pyeongchang, South Korea
The Slovenian team at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games.
Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
There was actually no way Slovenia could have pulled off what they managed in Russia's Sochi in 2014, when the team won eight medals, a Slovenian Olympic record, but the tally of two medals was nevertheless good given the circumstances.
It was the biathlon veteran Jakov Fak who brought the first one for Slovenia, as he finished second in the men's 20-kilometre race for what was the career highlight for the 31-year-old. He hit all 20 targets to finish just 5.50 seconds behind Johannes Thinges Boe of Norway.
It was the second Olympic medal for Fak, after he won bronze in the sprint race in Vancouver in 2010 when he represented Croatia, and the 20th Winter Olympic medal for Slovenia overall.
Following up his success was snowboarder Žan Košir, who won bronze in the parallel giant slalom for his third Olympic medal. The 33-year-old became only the eight Slovenian athlete to boast three Olympic medals, having won silver and bronze in Sochi four years ago.
The men's national ice hockey team meanwhile played their second Olympic tournament ever but failed to repeat the improbable success from Sochi in 2014, when they made it to the quarter finals. While beating the US and Slovakia and losing to Russia in the group play, Slovenia were eliminated by Norway in the play-off round for the quarter-finals.