SPORTS

FOOTBALL is the most popular sport in Slovenia. The biggest success of our national team was qualifying for one Euro Championships (2000) and two World Cups (2002, 2010). In South Africa Slovenia is playing in group C with England, the USA and Algier. Our current top striker is Milivoje Novakovič.

BASKETBALL is also very popular. We have great players but most of them play in foreign clubs (three different Slovenian players have NBA rings - that's the most of all European countries). The national team was fourth in the last European Championships. We have high hopes of the World Championships this year. We expect a lot from Beno Udrih.

ALPINE SKIING is traditionally a very popular sport in Slovenia. Most people regularly ski in the winter. One of the most popular skiers is Tina Maze. She has won 9 World Cup races and at the Olympics in Vancouver she got two silver medals.

SKI JUMPING is also big in Slovenia. Planica is the biggest ski-jumping hill in the world. The world record is 239 meters. This year Robert Kranjec won the ski flying world cup.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING has recently become popular in Slovenia, because of Petra Majdič. At the Olympics in Vancouver she came third, despite breaking her ribs just before the race. She is a big role-model.

The ATHLETICS has always been popular is Slovenia. Primož Kozmus is a hammer thrower and the current Olympic and World champion. He shocked everyone when he announced an early retirement last year.

Iztok Čop is a ROWING Olympic gold medalist and four times World Champion.

In GYMNASTICS Mitja Petkovšek competes on parallel bars. He is two times World Champion and there times European Champion.