This season's World Cup Final in Ski Jumping in Planica concluded with the ski-flying competition today. The event was also attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša. “Planica has surpassed itself once again this year – not just in terms of the sporting competition but also in terms of the support from fans,” the Prime Minister emphasised after the competition, adding that sky flying was a sport for courageous nations.

 

(Photo: Tina Kosec/Bobo)

 

PM Janša took the opportunity to express his support for the efforts of the Minister for Education and Sport to carry forward the Planica Nordic Centre project, saying he was pleased that a letter of intent had been recently signed between the Republic of Slovenia, or the Ministry of Education and Sport, and the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. With this document, the Municipality of Kranjska Gora has promised to hand over free of cost part of the property located at the planned Planica Nordic Centre construction site, which actually includes the land on which the ski-jump hill and Stanko Bloudek’s old mammoth hill stand today. “The procedures will now be implemented without undue delay, thus enabling the World Cup Final in Ski Jumping 2010 in Planica to be held at the new facilities, with new infrastructure and the promise of new records,” observed PM Janez Janša with some optimism.

 

Prime Minister Janez Janša talking to Robert Kranjec, with Urška Bačkovnik on the left and Franci Petek, sports director for ski jumps and Nordic combined, on the right (Photo: Tina Kosec/Bobo)

 

PM Janez Janša also congratulated all the sportsmen who had flown down the Planica ski-jump hill – a skill which takes a great deal of courage – as well as the hard-working organisers, the winner of the ski-jumping final and, of course, the best Slovenian competitor, Robert Kranjec, who, by taking an excellent fourth place, did Slovenia proud.