Olimpijske igre Milano–Cortina: Šport, navijači in slovenska hiša kot Slovenija v malem

Pred zimskimi olimpijskimi igrami Milano–Cortina 2026 smo v vladnem GOVSI podkastu gostili Blaža Perka, vodjo slovenske olimpijske reprezentance, in Matica Švaba, poslovnega direktorja Olimpijskega komiteja Slovenije (OKS).
Navijači kot nevidna energija športnikov
Na zimskih olimpijskih igrah bo Slovenijo predvidoma zastopalo okoli 38 športnic in športnikov v šestih panogah. Po besedah Blaža Perka so pričakovanja visoka, zlasti v smučarskih skokih, kjer slovenska ekipa v letošnji sezoni dosega vrhunske rezultate. Ena od prednosti letošnjih iger je njihova bližina Sloveniji. To omogoča številnim navijačem, da športnike podprejo v živo. »Navijači dajejo tisto nevidno dodatno energijo, ki pa jo športniki še kako čutijo,« je poudaril Perko in dodal, da je prav domača podpora lahko odločilen dejavnik v boju za odličja.
Slovenska hiša – prostor povezovanja in promocije
Milano–Cortina bodo prve zimske olimpijske igre z izrazito razpršenimi prizorišči, kar je velik logistični izziv. Kljub temu slovenska reprezentanca verjame, da bo organizacija omogočila optimalne pogoje za nastope športnikov na vseh prizoriščih. Pomemben del slovenskega olimpijskega nastopa bo tudi Slovenska hiša v Cortini d’Ampezzo. Matic Švab je poudaril, da bo hiša odprta za javnost in bo delovala kot stičišče športa, gospodarstva, turizma, kulture in diplomacije. Pod znamko I feel Slovenia bo predstavljala Slovenijo v malem ter ponujala prostor za dogodke, srečanja in navijanje.
Športniki kot najboljši ambasadorji Slovenije
Slovenska hiša bo gostila številne delegacije, poslovne dogodke in obiske uglednih gostov, pomembno vlogo pa bo imela tudi ambasadorka hiše Tina Maze. Olimpijske igre so tako priložnost ne le za športne uspehe, temveč tudi za krepitev prepoznavnosti Slovenije v svetu.
Epizodo si lahko ogledate na vladnem YouTube kanalu.

[ENGLISH VERSION]
Olympic Games Milan–Cortina: Sport, Fans and the Slovenian House as Slovenia in Miniature
Ahead of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the Government GOVSI Podcast hosted Blaž Perko, Head of the Slovenian Olympic Team, and Matic Švab, Managing Director of the Slovenian Olympic Committee.
Fans as the Invisible Energy of Athletes
At the Winter Olympic Games, Slovenia is expected to be represented by around 38 female and male athletes across six sports disciplines. According to team leader Blaž Perko, expectations are high, particularly in ski jumping, where the Slovenian team has been achieving top results this season. Competitions will begin in the very first days after the opening ceremony, meaning Slovenian athletes will quickly be in contention for the highest places. One of the advantages of this year’s Games is their proximity to Slovenia, allowing many fans to support the athletes in person. »Fans provide that invisible extra energy which athletes can truly feel,« Perko emphasised, adding that home support can be a decisive factor in the fight for medals.
The Slovenian House – A Hub for Connection and Promotion
An important part of Slovenia’s Olympic presence will also be the Slovenian House in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Matic Švab highlighted that the House will be open to the public and will serve as a meeting point for sport, business, tourism, culture and diplomacy. Under the I feel Slovenia brand, it will present Slovenia in miniature and provide a space for events, meetings and cheering.
Athletes as Slovenia’s Best Ambassadors
The Slovenian House will host numerous delegations, business events and visits by distinguished guests, with a special role played by the House’s ambassador, Tina Maze. The Olympic Games thus represent an opportunity for sporting success, and also a chance to further strengthen Slovenia’s international visibility.
You can watch the episode on YouTube.

Transcript

Navijači dajejo tisto energijo športnikom, ker vidijo, da je prisotnost, nevidna energija. Kaj naj rečem?

Slovenska hiša bo v samem centru mesta, odprta za javnost, praktično za vse slovenske navijače.

Smučarski skoki pa so v letošnji zimi najbolj vroča panoga. Celotna slovenska javnost sigurno pričakuje in tudi stroka od skakalne ekipe veliko.

Vladni podkast GOVSI.

Pozdravljeni in dobrodošli v podkastu GOVSI, ki ga za vas pripravljamo na Uradu vlade za komuniciranje. Začenja se eden izmed največjih športnih dogodkov na svetu, zimske olimpijske igre v Milanu in Cortini d'Ampezzo, ki bodo v središče postavile šport, odličnost, spoštovanje in prijateljstvo. Na letošnjih igrah bo predvidoma nastopilo 38 slovenskih športnic in športnikov. Slovenija je bila vedno zelo uspešna in v samem vrhu po številu olimpijskih medalj na prebivalca. Naši športniki so na zimskih olimpijskih igrah za samostojno Slovenijo doslej skupaj osvojili 24 medalj in pričakovanja so tudi tokrat visoka. Prednost iger pa je tudi to, da so v bližini Slovenije, zato bodo številni slovenski navijači športnike prišli podpirat tudi v živo in tudi tokrat bodo lahko športne uspehe slavili v slovenski hiši v Cortini. Ta bo odprta za vse in ne bo le prostor druženja in navijanja, ampak bo pod znamko I Feel Slovenia povezovala šport, gospodarstvo, turizem, kulturo in diplomacijo. In kaj olimpijske igre pomenijo za naše športnike in kaj za promocijo in prepoznavnost Slovenije v svetu? O tem bomo danes govorili z dvema gostoma. V nadaljevanju se mi bo pridružil Matic Švab, poslovni direktor Olimpijskega komiteja Slovenije, najprej pa v studiu pozdravljam vodjo slovenske reprezentance na zimskih olimpijskih igrah Milano - Cortina gospoda Blaža Perka. Lepo pozdravljeni.

Dober dan. Za začetek morda, nam lahko predstavite slovensko olimpijsko reprezentanco, ki nas bo zastopala na zimskih olimpijskih igrah?

Z veseljem. Na olimpijske igre potujemo s približno 38 športniki. Skupaj bo reprezentanca štela nekaj čez 100 posameznikov in posameznic. Nastopili bomo v alpskem smučanju, biatlonu, smučarskem teku, smučarskih skokih, deskanju in nordijski kombinaciji. V alpskem smučanju se bo moški in ženski del boril vsak na svojem prizorišču. Ženski del v Cortini, moški pa v Bormiu. Nastopili bomo v moškem delu in ženskem delu tako v hitrih kot tehničnih disciplinah in v ženskem delu tudi v ekipni kombinaciji. To pomeni ena predstavnica v smuku in druga v slalomu. V biatlonu, ki bo na sporedu v Anterselvi, na drugem prizorišču, bomo imeli tako moško kot žensko ekipo, skupaj devet športnic in športnikov. In program biatlona je razpotegnjen čez celoten potek iger in tudi tam pričakujemo kar zanimive boje. Nenazadnje imamo že dvakratnega medaljista v ekipi in tudi štafete so tiste, kjer se lahko visoko uvrščajo naši tekmovalci in tekmovalke, tako da bo zelo zanimivo. Smučarski skoki pa so v letošnji zimi najbolj vroča panoga. Celotna slovenska javnost sigurno pričakuje in tudi stroka od skakalne ekipe veliko, tako ženske kot moške, na teh igrah. Prvič naj omenim, da ni ekipne tekme v moški konkurenci, ampak je mešana ekipa. Je pa na sporedu super ekipna tekma. To pomeni, da dva skakalca po dvakrat skačeta, tako da to je razlika od prej. Zato tudi mogoče za koga presenečenje, da bodo v moški ekipi trije skakalci, v ženski pa štiri skakalke, tako na veliki kot na srednji skakalnici, in tam res pričakujemo največ priložnosti za najvišja mesta. Tekme se bodo odvijale v Predazzu, kar je tudi zelo blizu Slovenije, tako da menim, da bo kar veliko gledalcev. Potem imamo v dolini Val di Fiemme oziroma v Teseru smučarske teke, nordijsko kombinacijo v kombinaciji skokov in tekov, se pravi skoki v Predazzu in v Teseru teki. Tukaj imamo v tekaškem delu nekoliko manj izkušeno ekipo oziroma z manjšimi pričakovanji glede na dosedanje rezultate, ampak kljub temu gremo tja z močno ekipo, s številčno ekipo, sedem športnic in športnikov in pa dva nordijska kombinatorca. Potem pa še deskarji. Tudi tukaj smo bili zelo uspešni v preteklosti. Deskarji pa bodo nastopali v oddaljenem Livignu in tam bomo imeli ekipo v paralelnih disciplinah, tako moško kot žensko. V obeh konkurencah smo že osvajali kolajne in upajmo, da bodo izkušeni olimpijka in olimpijci tudi za te igre pripravili kakšno presenečenje. In mislim, da sem vse povedal, da je to to. V Milanu ne bomo imeli svojih predstavnikov na ledu. Žal se niso uspeli kvalificirati ne na drsalnem programu ne na hokeju, tako da tam ne bomo nastopili, na drugih prizoriščih pa smo prisotni.

Zdaj ste našteli kar veliko stvari, ampak že v prvih dneh po otvoritvi so na sporedu tekme, kjer bi lahko naši tekmovalci posegli po najvišjih odličjih.

Ja, v bistvu že takoj štartamo z disciplinami, kjer so pričakovanja velika. Kot sem že omenil, skoki v Predazzu že takoj štartajo, ženska tekma naslednji dan po otvoritvi. Na sporedu bo tudi moški smuk, potem naslednji dan ženski smuk, potem moška skakalna tekma in v času kulturnega praznika že tudi deskarji. Tako da ja, že takoj se začne zelo intenzivno in pričakujemo dobre rezultate takoj na začetku.

Nehvaležno, ampak verjetno pričakovano vprašanje. Imate kakšne izračune, pričakovanja, recimo vi osebno, koliko medalj bi lahko odnesli s tokratnih zimskih olimpijskih iger?

Ja, saj je malo floskula, neprijetno vprašanje, ampak dejansko je tako, da mi vedno delamo pripravo za vsake igre, kje imamo možnosti in koliko imamo možnosti, da se medalje osvoji. Če so ali niso, je pa seveda odvisno od športnikov, dnevne forme in pa včasih tudi kakšnega kančka sreče. Tako da tudi s teh iger sem prepričan, da bomo prinesli medalje. Koliko, ne bi napovedoval. Moje osebno prepričanje je, da na olimpijskih igrah na podlagi vseh dosedanjih izkušenj medalje osvajajo izkušeni tekmovalke in tekmovalci, tako da tam lahko pričakujemo največ. Izkušeni pomeni tisti, ki so na igrah že bili in že bili deležni teh pritiskov, ker so vseeno nekoliko drugačni, kot so pa pritiski na tekmah svetovnih pokalov in tako naprej. In na to moraš biti pripravljen.

Sodelovanje na olimpijskih igrah je zagotovo eden od vrhuncev kariere vsakega športnika, športnice in verjetno je že sama uvrstitev na tako tekmovanje svojevrsten dosežek. Kako zahtevni so kriteriji, da se športniki sploh lahko uvrstijo?

Veliko športnikov ali pa večina, vsi povejo, da so to sanje vsakega športnika, da enkrat v karieri nastopi na olimpijskih igrah. Verjetno je vprašanje namenjeno kakovostnim kriterijem, bi pa samo rad še dodatno pojasnil. Olimpijske igre imajo nekoliko poseben značaj. Ne zasledujejo zgolj nekaj izhodišč. Sigurno je kakovostni vidik tisti, se pravi, na olimpijskih igrah morajo in nastopajo najboljši športniki v športih, ki so na programu. Poleg tega pa se zasleduje tudi vidik univerzalnosti, se pravi, da na igre pridejo nastopat tekmovalci iz vseh držav sveta, in pa enakopravnosti spolov. Tudi ta vidik je zelo pomemben. Skratka, tukaj je želja, da je približno polovica ženskih športnic in moških športnikov. Temu so nekoliko prilagojeni tudi kriteriji Mednarodnega olimpijskega komiteja, ki vse te vidike upoštevajo. Zaradi tega so določene omejitve navzgor in tako naprej. Kakovostni vidik pa je tisti, ki ga potem na koncu v bistvu določi vsaka država posebej. Skratka, športniki na tekmovanjih pred začetkom iger, tekmovanjih najvišjega ranga, dosegajo točke, rezultate za dosego kvot na državo. Te kvote pa potem zapolnijo države same, se pravi tudi Slovenija, s svojimi kriteriji kakovosti. In ta kakovostni kriterij, potem seveda zahtevnost je odvisna tudi od konkurence, ki jo imaš v državi med drugimi športniki in pri nas si lahko predstavljamo, da je znotraj nekaterih panog konkurenca izjemna. Je pa seveda odvisno od generacije do generacije, tako da na ta način se potem tudi zahtevnost veča. Če imaš, če sem malo sarkastičen, se malo pohecam, če imaš smolo, da si rojen v res močni generaciji, potem so ti kriteriji bistveno težji kot v primeru, da je generacija nekoliko manj dobra, in tako so tudi kriteriji zahtevni. So pa vsekakor na najvišjem nivoju, kar je možno.

In Slovenija se uvršča kar visoko glede na število medalj, ki jih je osvojila na zimskih olimpijskih igrah glede na število prebivalcev. Od leta 1992 24 medalj, štiri zlate, osem srebrnih, 12 bronastih. Kaj kažejo podatki?

Ja, Slovenija je seveda pri upoštevanju velikosti narodov vedno pri vrhu. Bomo rekli znotraj top tri, top pet držav. Tukaj navadno prednjačijo, tudi po tem kriteriju, skandinavske države. Norveška je vedno v vrhu z medaljami glede na prebivalca, pa tudi absolutno. Medtem ko v absolutnem štetju se uvrščamo okrog 15. mesta, absolutno število medalj na državo. Ampak vsi nam priznavajo zelo veliko uspešnost glede na majhnost nacije, ki jo imamo, in pa tudi, veliko je teh primerjav. Ena od njih tudi recimo primerja bruto družbeni proizvod v povezavi z doseženimi medaljami, kar spet kaže na neko podlago, ki jo lahko neka nacija ima, da doseže. In tukaj smo vedno čisto v vrhu, med prvimi tremi. In verjamem, da bo tudi tukaj podobno, na teh igrah.

Omenili ste že prej številna prizorišča, razpršena prizorišča. Kako je to za vas zahtevno z organizacijskega vidika?

Ja, v bistvu so te igre prvič tako razpršene. Vedno smo bili navajeni na recimo dve oddaljeni lokaciji z zadnjih iger. Tukaj je prvič, da je toliko prizorišč in z organizacijskega vidika je to zelo zahtevno. Treba je organizirati reprezentanco, da ima na vsakem od prizorišč pogoje, bomo rekli optimalne, če ne idealne, ali pa vsaj minimalne standarde, ki jih lahko zagotovimo. Kajti tudi govorimo o pogojih spremljevalnega osebja, namestitvenih pogojih, transportnih pogojih in tako naprej. In ker so tudi omejitve pri teh pogojih, ki jih določa Mednarodni olimpijski komite, ki razporeja možnost akreditiranja oseb in tako naprej, je tukaj res zahtevna matematika vse zložiti po takih razmerah, kot jih imaš v reprezentanci. Samo za primer, da si lažje predstavljamo, že dodeljeno število sob, postelj v neki olimpijski vasi oziroma hotelu, kjer bodo bivali, je potem odvisno tudi od razmerja spolov. In če se to razmerje ne poklopi, imaš potem težave. To je tak plastičen primer. Potem, kje bo nastanjeno zdravstveno osebje? Odvisno potem, kakšne potrebe so, ali so potrebe po zdravstvenem osebju stalnem ali občasnem in tako naprej, kajti razdalje med prizorišči so tako velike, da je težko v enem dnevu zagotoviti prisotnost na tekmah, ki potekajo hkrati ali pa ena za drugo, kajti enostavno se ne bo dalo ujeti. Prevozna sredstva so planirana oziroma so določena za po cesti. Nimamo helikopterjev, da bi se to lahko dogajalo hitreje. Hvala bogu. Ampak to pa prinese potem zelo veliko težav in zelo zahtevno organizacijo. Tako da tukaj tudi mi vstopamo v nekaj novega, ampak kot kaže, smo nekako na pravi poti.

Je to torej eden izmed največjih izzivov na teh olimpijskih igrah, da boste lahko športnikom zagotavljali tako nemotene priprave oziroma treninge kot tudi tekmovanja potem?

Vsekakor je to eden od zelo pomembnih vidikov. Mi se tudi na ta način že kar nekaj časa pripravljamo na to organiziranost v času iger in meni osebno se zdi, da nam bo uspelo. Upajmo, da nam kaj ne zagode vreme, kajti tudi ta vidik potem na samem transportnem delu lahko zelo zakomplicira stvari, in pa na drugi strani, da bodo tiste stvari, ki jih zagotavlja organizator, pripravljene do te mere, kot jih načrtuje oziroma obljublja.

Številni dejavniki torej.

Ja, tako da dokler se igre ne začnejo, držimo pesti, da bo vse v redu, potem pa se bomo znašli, tako kot vedno.

Kako pa poteka življenje v olimpijski vasi? Se spomnite kakšne zabavne anekdote iz preteklih let morda?

Olimpijska vas je v bistvu zelo pomemben vidik olimpijskih iger. Že prej sem omenil ta vidik univerzalnosti in tako naprej in olimpijske igre so res dogodek, kjer poleg športnih uspehov slavimo tudi harmonično sobivanje vseh športnikov in vseh ostalih predstavnikov, ki so zraven, v skupni olimpijski vasi, kjer se družijo skupaj, živijo pod istimi pogoji, vsaj športniki, ne glede na to, kakšnega ranga, kakovosti ali pa slave prihaja tja, in je olimpijska vas vedno en tak lep del iger, ki si ga zelo zapomnijo in radi obiščejo, tudi največje svetovne zvezde vedno z veseljem pridejo. Čeprav je včasih tudi tako, da te največje zvezde, tudi mi imamo kakšne take, bivajo potem kdaj tudi izven, ampak se vedno udeležijo tudi obiska in pridejo radi pogledat, ker tam je posebno okolje, poseben režim. Športniki so res, za njih je poskrbljeno na način, da imajo prostor, mir in svobodo. Ni prisotnosti medijev, lahko so sproščeni z drugimi športniki in to je ena taka res lepa izkušnja in lepo za videti. Prej sva govorila o prizoriščih, tudi olimpijske vasi na teh zimskih igrah žal ne bodo na tak način, da bi bila ena, pa potem razpršenost med prizorišči, kajti razdalje so enostavno prevelike in bi bilo to prezahtevno. Zato je tudi olimpijskih vasi več, tako da žal bodo tudi tukaj športniki prikrajšani za tisto res izkušnjo sobivanja s kolegi iz drugih panog, kajti v glavnem so postavljeni tako, da so panoge, ki skupaj nastopajo, tudi skupaj v teh vaseh in nekatere vasi so tudi organizirane. Znotraj hotelov pa je sam režim tak, tako da je v bistvu tukaj prilagojeno, da so igre bolj racionalne tudi s tega vidika, kajti te igre so bile nastavljene, da ne bo veliko nove infrastrukture in tako naprej, ampak ta vidik potem izpade. Bomo videli, kako bo izgledalo. Osebno menim, da tako izgubijo čar igre, ampak z vsemi temi izzivi drugače ni šlo. Zdaj pa, ko ste me vprašali glede izkušnje, mi je zdaj vmes, sem se spomnil ene. Sicer je daljna pa iz letnih iger. Leta 2008 v Pekingu sem bil slučajno prisoten. Tam je bila res velika olimpijska vas. V njej so bivali vsi, tudi svetovni zvezdniki in tako naprej in vas je bila tako velika, da smo iz prostorov, kjer smo bivali, do jedilnice, kajti tam je vedno organizirana skupna jedilnica, potovali s takšnimi manjšimi avtobusi, kajti je bila razdalja tako velika, in sem bil slučajno na avtobusu prisoten, ko sta dva športnika hrvaške rokometne reprezentance zagledala na avtobusu, namenoma brez imen, enega res velikega svetovnega zvezdnika, res takega, ki se je moral otepati slikanja in fotografiranja, selfijev, in sta pristopila do njega in sta rekla, če bi se lahko slikali oziroma če bi lahko opravili slikanje, in je bil za. In potem je pač rekel, kako se naj postavijo. In sta mu dala fotoaparat in sta rekla, če bi on lahko njiju slikal na sedežih v avtobusu. Bilo je res zabavno, tako da je cel avtobus se zabaval na ta račun. Sta bila kar navihana rokometaša. To je taka prigoda. Takih stvari, ki se zgodijo v olimpijski vasi, je veliko. Kajti tam res zgubijo športniki tisto zadržanost, tudi ti največji, in je res prijetno.

Ko to omenjate. Zdi se, da te vrednote olimpizma res živijo v olimpijski vasi, če jih že kje drugje na prvi pogled ne bi zaznali. Prijateljstvo, odličnost, spoštovanje. In tudi v jedru samega olimpizma je, da šport lahko prispeva k boljšemu in pravičnejšemu svetu. Kakšen je pomen olimpijskih iger v današnjem času?

Drži, tako kot ste rekli. Olimpijske igre imajo ta namen, ki je višji kot zgolj športni, in na ta način skušajo, pa tudi predvsem zaradi pozornosti, ki so je deležni, pokazati, da se da tudi drugače. Se pravi, da se da kljub sporom, konfliktom in tako naprej vseeno sobivati v nekem harmoničnem okolju. In v bistvu šport kot platforma, na kateri se vsi nekako zberemo in gojimo samo šport brez drugih nekih konfliktnih situacij in tako naprej. In dejansko se to dogaja. Je temu tako, tudi če se na igre prihaja v času kakšnih geopolitičnih situacij, da potem na samem prizorišču ne bi pričakoval, da bo tako mirno. Že v Parizu je bilo tako. Drži pa, da se tudi Olimpijski komite, Mednarodni olimpijski komite, zaveda te pozornosti, ki jo igre imajo, in nevarnosti, da bi takrat izbruhnili kakršni koli konflikti, ki ponavadi ali pa vedno pridejo od zunaj in nikoli od znotraj. Jaz še nisem bil prisoten, da bi se od znotraj začele kakšne stvari, ampak bolj od zunaj, in skuša ohranjati čisto to okolje, čisto v smislu brez politične agitacije, političnih gest. To ne pomeni, da športnikom prepoveduje imeti lastno mnenje, vendar vztraja in pazi, da se ta mnenja ne izražajo na športnih prizoriščih. Skratka, športna prizorišča, olimpijsko vas, olimpijska prizorišča ohranja čista in tukaj res pazi na to. In na ta način se stvari speljejo brez nekih konfliktov, kot sem rekel, in to je v bistvu namen, da se da pokazati, da se da tudi drugače. Včasih zmeraj bolj izgleda, da je to lahko neka utopija, ampak se da, ker ljudje na koncu pokažejo, da se da. Samo realnost je druga in dostikrat se je že pokazalo, da je zadnje igre zimske že kar med igrami oziroma takoj, ko se zaključijo, se po svetu pozabi na mir in se nadaljujejo konflikti drugje. Ampak še vedno, vsaj moje osebno prepričanje, je pomembno, da ohranimo neko okolje, kjer se da pokazati, da se da drugače, saj to ne pomeni, da bo to rešilo vse težave, ampak da se, ker tudi politiki, ki prihajajo na igre, so v drugačnem razpoloženju in mogoče drugače pogledajo na svet in mogoče se na takšen način tudi kakšen konflikt prepreči.

Za konec samo še na kratko. Olimpijske igre bodo resnično blizu Slovenije. Kako pomembna je ta podpora navijačev v živo?

Stoprocentno, ker zdaj kar nekaj časa so bile olimpijske igre kar oddaljene od Slovenije in navijači dajejo tisto energijo športnikom, ker vidijo, da je prisotnost nevidna energija, kaj naj rečem? In verjetno tudi domači, ki bodo lahko prišli lažje na prizorišča kot pri prejšnjih, bodo dali tisto dodatno kapljico energije, da bo mogoče na ta način lažje tudi njim doseči tiste rezultate. Absolutno, navijači vabljeni na prizorišča. So blizu, da se, sicer nekoliko bolj naporno, ampak tudi v enem dnevu izpeljati ogled kakšnih tekem in vsi vljudno vabljeni na tekmovališča.

Gospod Perko, najlepša hvala vam. Veliko uspeha vam in reprezentanci. V nadaljevanju pa bova z Maticem Švabom govorila tudi o tem, da so športniki najboljši promotorji Slovenije. Hvala.

Hvala lepa za vabilo.

Gospod Matic Švab, poslovni direktor Olimpijskega komiteja Slovenije, lepo pozdravljeni.

Lep pozdrav.

Slišali smo že, da so olimpijske igre veliko več kot le športni dogodek. So priložnost za promocijo naše države, za tkanje novih vezi in zato je tako zelo pomembno, da imamo tudi na teh olimpijskih igrah slovensko hišo, ki bo odprta vse od začetka pa do konca olimpijskih iger, torej od 6. do 22. februarja, uradna otvoritev pa bo 8. februarja, na državni kulturni praznik, Prešernov dan. In kaj lahko pričakujemo takrat?

Ja, mogoče, če se najprej dotaknem tega prvega vašega vprašanja. Olimpijske igre so seveda največji športni dogodek na svetu, so pa postale tudi zelo pomembna poslovna platforma, ki jo nacionalni Olimpijski komite in pa države zelo dobro izkoriščajo. Tam je zelo veliko pomembnih ljudi iz sveta gospodarstva, raznih političnih voditeljev, seveda tudi drugih predstavnikov in je seveda to idealna priložnost, da se izkoristi za promocijo države. Zelo smo veseli in se na tem mestu tudi zahvaljujemo Vladi Republike Slovenije za podporo, da smo lahko že v Parizu pripravili res odlično slovensko hišo in to sedaj še dejansko nadgradili in izbrali za lokacijo Cortino d'Ampezzo, ki je že sama po sebi res eno pomembno mesto tudi v imenu olimpijskih iger in tam bodo najbolj pomembne hiše alpskih držav, kot so Italija, Avstrija, Nemčija in seveda tudi Slovenija. Slovenska hiša bo v samem centru mesta, odprta za javnost, praktično za vse slovenske navijače in pa 8. februar, to je kulturni praznik na eni strani, na drugi strani smuk za ženske v Cortini z našo odlično Ilko Štuhec in pa seveda v večernih urah potem tudi odpremo uradno slovensko hišo. Seveda se nadejamo odličnih rezultatov naših športnikov že dan prej, ko bomo spremljali Miho Hrobata in ekipo v moškem smuku in seveda zvečer navijali za Niko Prevc na mali skakalnici.

Tako je, že z gospodom Perkom sva omenila. Že ob začetku se bo dogajalo zelo veliko in bo pestro, ampak dogajanje bo v slovenski hiši ves čas. Kot sem rekla, od začetka do konca. A nam lahko izpostavite še kakšne programske vrhunce?

Ja, v bistvu slovenska hiša deluje kot platforma in je v bistvu dejansko na voljo za različne dogodke, ki jih organizirajo različni partnerji bodisi slovenske hiše bodisi so to organizacije, ki sodelujejo z državo. Tako bo Spirit pripeljal gospodarsko delegacijo, STO bo imel zelo pomemben dogodek, za tour operaterje pripravljamo en lep dogodek z ministrstvom za kulturo, predstavilo se bo ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, na drugi strani seveda tudi obiski naših najbolj pomembnih ministrov. Upamo tudi seveda predsednika vlade. Tako da ja, zelo veliko dogodkov. Na drugi strani tudi dogodki partnerjev slovenske hiše, sponzorjev Olimpijskega komiteja Slovenije. To so zelo ugledna podjetja, ki bodo pripeljala kar veliko pomembnih ljudi v samo Cortino. Seveda pa tudi se veselimo obiskov vseh športnikov, tistih, ki so člani olimpijske reprezentance, ki odhaja sedaj na igre, pa tudi tistih, ki so nas v preteklosti razveseljevali. Zelo smo veseli, da je ambasadorka slovenske hiše najboljša slovenska smučarka, najboljša slovenska športnica Tina Maze, da bo tam kar veliko tudi ostalih odličnih športnikov in športnic, ki so povezani bodisi z zimo bodisi s samim olimpizmom.

Ko ste ravno omenili, Tina Maze je ambasadorka slovenske hiše, dvakratna smučarska olimpijska prvakinja, najuspešnejša slovenska športnica vseh časov. Kako bo vpeta v sam program slovenske hiše?

Tina Maze je v bistvu že sama po sebi kot ambasadorka izjemno pomembna, ker je dejansko del svojega življenja preživela tudi v Cortini. Moramo se zavedati, da če si olimpijski prvak v smučanju, imaš res posebno mesto. Cortina bo gostila ženske tekme svetovnega pokala, kjer je zmagovala tudi Tina Maze. Prav tako je izjemno poznana v svetu olimpizma. Zelo jo ceni predsednica Mednarodnega olimpijskega komiteja in pa tudi vsi ostali. Bo pa Tina seveda vpeta, kjer bo tudi naša gostja na določenih dogodkih. Z nami bo skupaj na otvoritvi slovenske hiše in še na nekaterih projektih. Skupaj pripravljamo tudi en zelo lep projekt, da bo Tina Maze skupaj z nami in z ekipo botrstva v športu, zvezo Anite Ogulin pripeljala na olimpijske igre tudi 14 otrok, ki si drugače tega ne bi mogli privoščiti. Tako da se je zelo lepo vpela in smo zelo hvaležni, da je tudi Tina z nami.

Težko bi si želeli boljšo ambasadorko.

Mislim, da ni boljše ambasadorke v Sloveniji za ta projekt. Nedvomno ne za olimpijske igre v Cortini, tako da smo res veseli.

In slovenska hiša, kot ste omenili, ne bo samo prostor navijanja, ne bo samo prostor, kjer se bo proslavilo odličja, ampak bo pravzaprav neka Slovenija v malem, tudi prostor za diplomacijo, za sklepanje gospodarskih povezav in tako naprej.

Ja, v Parizu smo v bistvu naredili kar nekaj korakov naprej. Prej smo imeli vedno slovensko hišo relativno majhno in smo jo imeli predvsem za neke manjše dogodke. V Parizu smo naredili korak naprej. Zelo veliko je bilo določenih bilateralnih srečanj. Zelo veliko je bilo tudi gospodarskih srečanj in podobno bo tudi v Cortini. Tukaj imamo to prednost, da so dejansko olimpijske igre najbližje nam v vsej zgodovini. Mislim, da je Cortina tudi celo bližje kot Sarajevo, tako da dejansko v nekaj urah lahko prideš v samo mesto, narediš določene sestanke s svojimi ključnimi partnerji ali jih povabiš na olimpijske igre. In ja, smo zdaj v bistvu na izkušnji iz Pariza ugotovili, da je dejansko zelo veliko pomembnih ljudi takrat seveda v samem mestu in seveda mora Slovenija to znati izkoristiti, jih privabiti, pritegniti, pokazati, kaj ponuja bodisi na turistični platformi bodisi na gospodarski platformi ali pa seveda tudi na politični in izkoristiti olimpijske igre tudi v tem oziru. Seveda so olimpijske igre prvotno športni dogodek, ampak kot sem rekel že na začetku, so postale mnogo več od tega in je to fajn izkoristiti. In Slovenija to zna, da gre pri slovenski hiši za projekt širšega nacionalnega pomena, ste že omenili. Ministrstvo za gospodarstvo, turizem in šport je prispevalo za kvalifikacije slovenskih športnikov 900 000 evrov, za izvedbo slovenske hiše pa še dodaten milijon.

In tukaj se vidi tudi podpora države temu projektu.

Absolutno. Podpora države je v tem primeru ključna, ker če se spomnimo samo olimpijskih iger, spet grem nazaj v Pariz, je izjemno pomembno, da smo bili na odlični lokaciji. In enako je v Cortini. Ampak za odlično lokacijo seveda potrebuješ sredstva in olimpijski komite Slovenije sam teh sredstev ni imel. S podporo vlade, s podporo ministrstva smo do teh sredstev prišli in zdaj smo na odlični lokaciji. Slovenska hiša se nahaja v samem centru mesta. Sto metrov proč bo gorel olimpijski ogenj, 300 metrov proč so domačini Italijani. Že samo to govori o odlični lokaciji, ki je izjemno pomembna in če imaš odlično lokacijo, te vidi ogromno ljudi. Če te vidi ogromno ljudi, je seveda tudi nek potencial, ne samo na nekih bilateralnih srečanjih in gospodarskih srečanjih, ampak nagovoriš zelo veliko naših gostov in seveda z blagovno znamko I feel Slovenija, ki jo povezujemo s slovensko hišo, to jaz mislim, da kar dobro izkoriščamo in absolutno postavljamo temelje, kako se Slovenija predstavi na največjih športnih tekmovanjih.

Omenili ste, da vse je pod znamko I feel Slovenija in s tem sledite nekako že praksi iz Vancouvra, Pjongčanga in Pariza. Kakšne prednosti vse prinaša to, da se Slovenija oziroma slovenska hiša predstavlja pod enotno znamko na enem izmed najpomembnejših dogodkov za promocijo države?

To je predvsem zelo ključno za to, da imamo v bistvu eno komunikacijsko sporočilo do vseh deležnikov, ki jih srečujemo tam. In ta del je izjemno pomemben, se je gradil čez mnoga leta olimpijskih iger. Začelo se je v Vancouvru. Sicer je Mednarodni olimpijski komite tudi postal malo strožji glede te blagovne znamke na žalost, ker jo smatra kot komercialno. Ampak mi se še vedno trudimo, da jo maksimalno izpostavimo v sami hiši, tudi z nekimi omejitvami na zunanjem delu hiše. In tako bo tudi tukaj v Cortini, kjer se bo mimo naše hiše sprehodilo zelo veliko ljudi in bodo lahko spoznali Slovenijo, ko bodo vstopili v samo notranjost hiše, bo pa Slovenija seveda predstavljena tudi skozi zelo lepe vizuale naše narave. Lahko bodo preizkusili slovensko kulinariko. Tudi tukaj smo se potrudili, tako kot v Parizu, da boste seveda lahko preizkusili slovenske jedi. Z nami bodo odlični Jezerški, lahko se bo preizkusilo tudi slovensko vino, pivo, tako da bomo predstavili Slovenijo v malem tudi na olimpijskih igrah v bližnji Italiji.

Eden od pomembnih vidikov slovenske hiše je tudi sporočilo trajnosti. Kako se bo to kazalo na arhitekturnem vidiku?

Ja, trajnost je kar pomembna in dejansko se kar veliko z njo ukvarjamo. Mi smo se odločili, da bo notranjost slovenske hiše pa tudi glavni zunanji gradnik les, slovenski les, tako da naša ekipa že deluje na tem lesu, ga že obdeluje in to bo ena zelo pomembna stvar, ki ga seveda lahko pripeljemo domov. In že samo tisto, kar je bilo lesa, recimo na olimpijskih igrah v Parizu, se ga je potem uporabilo v drugih projektih in enako bo tudi tukaj. Tako da ta del se nam zdi relativno pomemben. Tudi trajnostno so olimpijske igre vedno malo vprašljive, ampak te, ki so v bližini Slovenije, so seveda za nas relativno okej, tudi dejansko prevozi, ne bo nekih avionskih prevozov in ostalih stvari. Za slovensko reprezentanco bo ta del nekoliko lažji. Drugače pa ja, trajnost je seveda pomemben del ne samo slovenske hiše, ampak nasploh olimpijskih iger, ki se na tem zimskem delu trajnosti spopadajo z mnogimi izzivi. Kakšen organizacijski zalogaj pa je ta razpršenost lokacij? Razpršenost lokacij nam ne odgovarja najbolj. Vsi bi si želeli, da bi bilo vse v bližini Cortine. Jaz osebno ne razumem čisto najbolje organizatorjev, da so tako razpršili vse skupaj in je logistično izjemno zahtevno. Že samo, če pogledamo naše odlične smučarske skakalce, bodo skakali v Predazzu, ker je dve uri do tri ure proč iz same Cortine in zelo težko bodo tekmovalci prišli do hiše, ker seveda ne smemo motiti trenažnega procesa. Zato smo se organizirali in bomo tam tudi pripravili slavje za njih, v kolikor se bo to zgodilo. Enako tudi v Bormiu, kjer imamo v bistvu dve odlični ekipi. V Bormiu seveda fante z Žanom Kranjcem, Miho Hrobatom, pa nedaleč proč v Livignu tudi naše odlične deskarje, ki so nas v Pekingu razveselili z dvema medaljama. V kolikor se bo zgodila medalja v tistem koncu Italije, bomo tudi poskrbeli, da bomo seveda lahko glasno zaploskali našim športnikom.

Torej, dobro ste se organizirali. Kljub temu da bo srce v Cortini, ste poskrbeli, da ne bo nikjer manjkalo vzdušja ob morebitnih odličjih.

V bistvu bo to malo izziv. V Parizu je bilo s tega vidika veliko lažje, ker je bila ena centralna točka. Tukaj pač ne. Ampak ja, moramo se prilagajati organizatorjem olimpijskih iger in na ta način smo se tudi zdaj, v bližnji Italiji, prilagodili. Bomo pa videli, kako bo v prihodnosti, kakšna bo prihodnost zimskih olimpijskih iger.

Kako pa se lahko meri uspešnost promocije države, na olimpijskih igrah? Ali skozi slovensko hišo ali skozi neke druge aktivnosti?

Uspešnost države se nedvomno meri predvsem s številom samih dogodkov, ki jih organiziramo, s številom gostov, številom naključnih gostov, številom pomembnih gostov, ki so prišli. Na ta del smo bili v Parizu zelo ponosni, ker smo imeli zelo veliko pomembnih gostov, ki so prihajali v slovensko hišo. Tukaj jaz mislim, da je relativno podobno. Imamo to srečo, da v samem središču Cortine bo tudi kar veliko gostov Mednarodnega olimpijskega komiteja, ki so zelo pomembni tako v politiki kot v športni politiki, kot v gospodarstvu zelo pomembni posamezniki, enako tudi veliko pomembnih posameznikov Mednarodne smučarske zveze, zelo veliko partnerjev Mednarodnega olimpijskega komiteja in drugih partnerjev olimpijskih iger. Tudi mi pripeljemo v samo Cortino kar veliko sponzorjev in zelo pomembnih podjetnikov iz Slovenije, tako da potem, ko to vse skupaj prepletemo in analiziramo po igrah, vidimo, kako so bile igre uspešne. Je pa seveda to veliko enostavneje, ko so igre v tvoji bližini, kot pa ko imaš igre, ne vem, sam se spominjam Južne Koreje ali olimpijskih iger v Pekingu, Tokiu, kjer je vse daleč proč. Ampak tudi tam se najdejo priložnosti, ki jih moramo vsi skupaj izkoristiti.

Tokrat so tudi bolj dostopne za slovenske navijače. Že naslednje poletne bodo precej dlje, v Los Angelesu, tako da to je odlična priložnost, da pridejo navijat za slovenske športnike.

Odlična priložnost. Tukaj lahko še enkrat več povabimo vse slovenske navijače. Imamo to srečo, da je vstopnic za smučarske skoke še kar nekaj na voljo, tako da naj pobrskajo na uradni spletni strani. Ob tem jih lahko tudi opozorimo, da vse nakupe naj opravijo na uradni spletni strani Milano - Cortina, da ne bi padli v kakšno past preprodaje vstopnic, ampak je to res ena lepa priložnost, da si ogledaš olimpijske igre od blizu. Mogoče greš tja s svojo družino, s svojimi prijatelji in navijaš za naše odlične športnike. 

Za konec samo še to. Imate mogoče še kakšen uporaben nasvet poleg tega, naj kupijo karte na uradnih spletnih straneh, morda čisto z logističnega vidika?

V bistvu je zelo pomembno, da zelo dobro planirajo samo pot. Moramo se zavedati, da bodo določene transportne poti zaprte. V primeru, ko boš imel vstopnico, se boš pripeljal na določeno parkirišče. Tam boš pustil svoj avtomobil, svoje prevozno sredstvo in se potem odpravil naprej z uradnim prevozom. Tako da ta del, ali so v Predazzu, v Cortini ali bodo šli na biatlon v Anterselvo, naj si zelo dobro pogledajo, da bo njihova pot čim manj stresna in da bodo čim lažje prišli do samih olimpijskih iger, ker se moramo zavedati, da je kar nekaj teh prizorišč v dolinah, ki so težko dostopne, in zaradi tega si bo treba vzeti kakšno uro več za sam transport, logistiko, kot je bilo to recimo v Parizu, kjer je podzemna železnica praktično rešila vse težave.

Gospod Matic Švab, najlepša hvala za pogovor in želim, da bodo olimpijske igre uspešne tako na tekmovališčih kot tudi pri promociji naše države v slovenski hiši.

Hvala lepa tudi vam za vabilo in se veselimo sodelovanja.

Hvala.

Hvala.

Hvala tudi vam, poslušalke in poslušalci, da ste bili z nami, in seveda držimo pesti za naše športnike. Spremljajte pa nas tudi v prihodnjih epizodah GOV.SI podkasta na priljubljenih aplikacijah za podkaste ali na YouTube kanalu.

[ENGLISH VERSION]

Fans give athletes energy. Their presence provides an invisible boost.

The Slovenian House will be in the center of the town and open to all Slovenian fans.

Ski jumping is the most popular sport this winter. The Slovenian public and the experts expect a lot from the ski jumping team.

GovSi, The Government's Podcast

Hello and welcome to GovSi, the podcast prepared for you by the Government Communication Office. One of the world's biggest sporting events is getting underway, the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, which will place sports, excellence, respect, and friendship in the forefront. Thirty-eight athletes from Slovenia are expected to take part. Slovenia has always been successful and near the top in terms of medals per capita. At the Winter Olympics, our athletes have won 24 medals since Slovenia's independence, and the expectations are high. An advantage of these games is their proximity to Slovenia, so many Slovenian fans will come to see them in person. They'll be able to celebrate successes in the Slovenian House in Cortina. It will be open to everyone, and won't be just a place for fans to gather. It will bring together sports, business, tourism, culture, and diplomacy under the I Feel Slovenia banner. What do the games mean for our athletes and for Slovenia's international promotion? We'll discuss this with two guests. Later on, I'll be joined by Matic Švab, the Executive Director of the Slovenian Olympic Committee. I'm now happy to welcome the head of the Slovenian Ski Team at the Olympics, Blaž Perko. Hello.

Hello.

Let's begin with an introduction to the Slovenian Ski Team that will represent us at the Olympics.

Sure. We're heading out to the games with a team with about 38 athletes. The national team will include just over 100 people. We'll take part in Alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, snowboarding, and the Nordic combined. In Alpine skiing events, men and women will compete in different venues. The women's events will take place in Cortina, and the men's in Bormio. The men and the women will complete in both technical and speed disciplines. The women will also take part in the team combined event, with one skier competing in the downhill, and the other in slalom. Biathlon, which will take place in Antholz, a different venue, will feature both the men's and the women's team, nine athletes in total. Biathlon events extend throughout the duration of the games. We expect interesting competitions in that discipline. After all, we have a two-time medal-winner on our team. The relay teams is also where our competitors could perform well, so this will be very interesting. Ski jumping is the most popular sport this winter. The Slovenian public and experts expect a lot from the ski jumping team, both men and women. For the first time, these Olympics won't include a men's team competition. Instead, there will be a mixed team event. However, we will have a super team event. This means that two ski jumpers will make two jumps. This is what's different, and it may surprise some that the men's team will include three competitors, and the women's team four, on both the large and the medium hill. That's where we expect the best results. The competition will take place in Predazzo. This is close to Slovenia, so I expect quite a few Slovenian spectators. In the Fiemme Valley, we'll take part in the cross-country skiing event, the Nordic combined, which consists of ski jumps in Predazzo and cross-country skiing in Tesero. We have a less-experienced team in the cross-country part, so our expectations are lower based on the results so far, but we're nevertheless headed there with a large team of seven athletes and two Nordic combined competitors. Then come the snowboarders, who've been very successful in the past. They'll compete in distant Livigno. We'll have a team for parallel disciplines, both men and women. We've won medals in both competitions, and we hope that our experienced Olympians will be able to surprise us. I believe I've mentioned everyone. We won't have any representatives in Milan. We didn't qualify for any ice skating events or ice hockey. We won't be there, but we'll be present elsewhere.

Even in the first days after the opening ceremony, we can look forward to competitions where our athletes could go for the top spots.

Yes. We'll start right away with disciplines where our expectations are high. This includes women's ski jumping in Predazzo the day after the opening ceremony. Also scheduled for that day is the men's downhill, followed by the women's downhill the next day, men's ski jumping, and snowboarders on the Slovenian Cultural Holiday. So yes, things get busy right off the bat. We're expecting good results very early.

I have a question that is unpleasant but perhaps expected. Do you have any personal predictions as to how many medals Slovenia could win at these Olympics?

It is an unpleasant question, but we always get ready for the Olympics so we have a chance for a medal. If that happens depends on the athlete’s daily form and sometimes a bit of luck. I'm sure we'll come home with some medals from these games. I don't want to predict how many. Based on all my experience, experienced competitors are the ones who win medals. That's the ones who have already competed in the Olympics and experienced the pressure that is different than the pressure at World Cup competitions and the like. You've got to be ready for that.

Competing at the Olympics is among the highlights of any athlete's career. Even qualifying for such an event is an achievement. What are the criteria for athletes to qualify?

Most athletes, if not all, say that competing in the Olympics is the dream of any athlete. The question is probably about the quality criteria, but I'd like to explain that the Olympics are somewhat special. They don't simply reflect defined starting points. At the Olympics, it's certainly the best athletes who take part. However, there's also the element of universality. Competitors from every country come to the Olympics. Gender equality is another important aspect. Our wish is to have a 50/50 split of men and women. The IOC's criteria sometimes reflect that. They keep all these aspects in mind, so some criteria are adjusted upward. The quality criteria are ultimately defined by each country on its own. Before the games, athletes earn points at top-level events. Those points enable them to qualify for national quotas, and the quotas are filled by the countries themselves based on their own quality criteria. That criteria depends on the quality of the competition in that country. You can imagine that the internal competition in Slovenia is tremendous. It all depends on the generation. The criteria become stricter. If I can be facetious for a moment, those unlucky to be a member of a successful generation, the criteria can be far stricter than for someone from a less successful generation. They're certainly on the highest possible level.

Slovenia is ranked high in terms of the number of medals won at the Winter Olympics on a per capita basis. Since 1992, Slovenia has won 24 medals: four gold, eight silver, and twelve bronze. What does the data show?

Based on the population-to-medals ratio, Slovenia is always near the top, among the top three or five countries. The countries usually in the lead are the Scandinavian countries. Norway is always at the top in terms of medals per capita and overall. In terms of the overall number of medals, Slovenia tends to rank around the 15th position. Everyone admits that we're very successful relative to our small population and other comparative criteria, such as the GDP per medal. They're an indication of a country's starting point for success, and we're always among the top three. I trust things will be similar this time around.

You mentioned how widely scattered the venues are. How complicated is this from an organizational standpoint?

These are the most decentralized Olympics so far. We were used to two remote locations during the last Olympics, but now we have so many venues for the first time, and from an organizational standpoint, this is challenging. We need to organize our athletes to ensure they have optimal if not ideal conditions at each venue. At least, they should have some minimum standards. This includes the conditions for our crews, standards of accommodation and transportation, and so on. Because the criteria set by the IOC when accrediting people and so on, drawing up lists based on conditions in the team can involve complicated math. For instance, the allocated number of rooms in the Olympic Village or hotel depends on the male-to-female ratio. If this ratio doesn't work out, you have problems. Then there's the question of where medical personnel will be housed. This depends on the needs. Do we need medical personnel all the time or just occasionally? That's because the distances between the venues are so great that it's difficult to ensure the presence of medical personnel at events happening simultaneously or one after the other. It won't be possible to cover both. All the vehicles will be road-based. We don't have helicopters that could expedite this. Thank God, but this introduces many problems and great organizational challenges. This is uncharted territory for us as well, but it seems we're on the right track.

Is one of the biggest challenges at these Olympics being able to ensure both practice and competitions?

Absolutely. This is an important part of it. We've been getting ready for quite some time. I believe we'll make it. We hope that the weather won't cause us problems, because that could make transport a challenge, and that the responsibilities of the organizer will be ready as promised.

There are many factors.

Yes. Until the games get underway, we're hoping that things will turn out OK, and then we'll make the best of it.

What is life in the Olympic Village like? Do you know any fun anecdotes from recent years?

The Olympic Village is an important element of the games. I've mentioned the principle of universality. The Olympics are an event where, in addition to sporting success, we also celebrate the harmonious coexistence of all athletes and other representatives who stay in the Olympic Village, where they socialize and live in similar conditions, regardless of their ranking or fame. The Olympic Village is always a pleasant part of the games, which athletes enjoy visiting and remembering, and this includes star athletes, even though some of the biggest stars, and we have a few like that, stay elsewhere. However, they always take time to visit the Olympic Village and look around because of the special environment there. The athletes are taken care of in a way that ensures plenty of room, peace, and freedom. There are no media. They can relax with other athletes. That's a really pleasant experience. We had talked about the venues. Unfortunately, the Olympic Villages won't be concentrated in one location. Because the distances between the venues are so great, and it would be too much of a challenge, so there are several Olympic Villages, and the athletes will be deprived of the experience of living with athletes from other sports. For the most part, they'll stay in villages with athletes from the same disciplines. Some villages have been set up inside hotels. The environment has been adjusted in a way to make things more efficient because these Olympics have been conceived to work without a lot of new infrastructure. We'll see how it will work out. I feel that the games lose a part of their charm this way, but with all these challenges, there was no other way. You asked me about my experiences, and I just remembered one from the Summer Olympics. I happened to be at the 2008 Beijing Games. There was a large Olympic Village, where even the biggest global stars stayed. The Olympic Village was so big that when we wanted to get from the area where we stayed to the cafeteria we used little buses because of the distance. I happened to be on the bus when two members of Croatia's handball team who shall remain nameless saw a major global star, the kind who had to avoid people who wanted to take selfies with him, and they approached him. They asked if they could take a photo. He said yes and asked them where they would stand. They gave him the camera and asked him to take a photo of them in the bus. The entire bus found this hilarious. They were really mischievous. That's one anecdote. Many things like that happen in the Olympic Villages. The athletes become relaxed and the mood is pleasant.

It seems that the Olympic values are alive and well in the Olympic Village, even if they might be hard to detect elsewhere: friendship, excellent, respect. The notion that sports can help create a better, fairer world is at the heart of the Olympic spirit. What do the Olympics mean today?

You're right. The Olympics have a higher purpose than just sports. In this way they try, mainly because of the attention they receive, to show that things can be different. That despite disputes, conflicts, and so on, it's still possible to coexist in a harmonious environment. Sport is a platform where we all come together and cultivate only sport without any other conflicts and so on. And this is actually happening, this is the case. Even if the Games take place during some geopolitical situations, when you would not expect it to be so peaceful at the venue. This was the case in Paris. It's true that the Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee, is also aware of the attention that the Games receive and the danger that any conflicts could erupt at that time, which usually or always come from outside and never from within. I've not yet been present when things have started from within, but rather from outside, and it tries to keep this environment clean in the sense of no political agitation, no political gestures of any kind. This doesn't mean that athletes are prohibited from having their own opinions, but it insists and ensures that these opinions are not expressed at sporting venues. It keeps sports venues, the Olympic Village, and Olympic venues clean and really pays attention to this. And in this way, things run smoothly without any conflicts. This is the purpose, to show that things can be done differently. Sometimes it seems more and more like a utopia, but it's possible because people ultimately show that it is. However, the reality is different, and it has often been demonstrated ... During the last Winter Games, or immediately after they ended, the world forgot about peace and conflicts continued elsewhere. But my personal belief is that it's important to maintain an environment where it's possible to show that things can be done differently. This doesn't mean that all problems will be solved, but still. Politicians who come to the Games are in a different, so to speak, different mood and perhaps see the world differently. Perhaps in this way some conflicts can be prevented.

Finally, just briefly. The Olympics will be really close to Slovenia. How important is the live support of the fans?

One hundred percent, because for quite some time now, the Olympics have been quite far away from Slovenia, and the fans give energy to the athletes because they see that presence as invisible energy. Probably also the locals, who will be able to get to the venues more easily than in previous Games, will give that extra bit of energy, which may make it easier for them to achieve results. Absolutely, fans are welcome. The venues are close by, so although it may be a little more tiring, it's possible to come just for a day, and everyone is cordially invited to the competition venues.

Mr. Perko, thank you. We wish you and the national team every success. Next, Matic Švab and I will talk about how athletes are the best promoters of Slovenia. Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

Mr. Matic Švab, Business Director of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia. Welcome.

Hello.

We've already heard that the Olympic Games are much more than just a sporting event. They are an opportunity to promote our country and forge new ties, which is why it's so important that we also have the Slovenia House at these Olympic Games, which will be open from the beginning to the end of the Olympics, from February 6 to February 22. The official opening will be on February 8, on the national cultural holiday, Prešeren Day. What can we expect then?

Perhaps I should first address your first question. The Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world, but they have also become a very important business platform, which the National Olympic Committees are making very good use of. There are many important people from the world of business, politicians, and other representatives, and it's obviously an ideal opportunity to promote the country. We're very pleased and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for its support, which enabled us to set up an excellent Slovenia House in Paris and now to upgrade it and choose Cortina d'Ampezzo as the location, which is in itself a very important place, it's also in the name of the Olympic Games, and the most important houses of the Alpine countries, such as Italy, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia, will be there. The Slovenia House will be in the very center of the town, open to the public, to all Slovenian fans. February 8 is on the one hand a cultural holiday, on the other hand, there's the women's downhill in Cortina with our excellent Ilka Štuhec. In the evening, we'll officially open the Slovenia House. We hope for excellent results from our athletes the day before, when we'll be watching Miha Hrobat and the team in the men's downhill and, of course, in the evening, cheering for Nika Prevc.

We've mentioned that with Mr. Perko. Right from the start, there will be a lot going on, but there will be events in the Slovenia House the whole time. Can you point out any other program highlights for us?

The Slovenia House acts as a platform and is available for various events organized by different partners or organizations that cooperate with the state. Spirit will bring an economic delegation, we're preparing a very important event for tour operators, an event with the Ministry of Culture. The Ministry of Agriculture will also be represented, and we'll have visits from our most important ministers. We also hope to welcome the Prime Minister. There will be a lot of events. There are also events organized by the partners of the Slovenia House, the sponsors of the Slovenian Olympic Committee. These are very prestigious companies that will bring many important people to Cortina. We're also looking forward to visits from all the athletes, members of the Olympic team, who are now leaving for the Games, as well as those who have brought us joy in the past. We're very happy that the ambassador of the Slovenia House is the best Slovenian skier, the best Slovenian athlete, Tina Maze. There will also be many other excellent athletes who are connected with winter sports or the Olympics.

Tina Maze is the ambassador of the Slovenia House, a two-time Olympic skiing champion, and the most successful Slovenian athlete of all time. How will she be involved in the program?

Tina Maze is extremely important as an ambassador because she actually spent part of her life in Cortina. Olympic skiing champions have a special place there. Cortina will host the women's World Cup races, where Tina Maze has won. She's also extremely well known in the world of Olympism. She's highly regarded by the President of the International Olympic Committee and everyone else. Tina will be our guest at certain events. She will be with us at the opening of the Slovenia House and at some other projects. We are also preparing a very nice project together, in which Tina Maze, together with us and the team from Botrstvo v športu will bring fourteen children to the Olympics, who otherwise would not be able to afford it. So we're very grateful that Tina is with us.

We couldn't have asked for a better ambassador.

I don't think there is a better ambassador for this project, for the Olympic Games in Cortina, so we're really happy.

The Slovenia House, as you mentioned, will not only be a place for cheering, a place where medals will be celebrated, but it will be a kind of Slovenia in miniature, a place for diplomacy, for establishing economic connections, and so on.

We've actually made quite a few steps forward in Paris. Previously, we always had a relatively small Slovenia House, which was mainly used for smaller events. In Paris, there were a lot of bilateral meetings. There were also a lot of economic meetings, and it will be similar in Cortina. Here we have the advantage that the Olympic Games are closer to us than ever before in history. I think Cortina is even closer than Sarajevo, so you can actually get to the town in a few hours, hold certain meetings with your key partners, or invite them to the Olympics. Based on our experience in Paris, we've realized that there are actually a lot of important people there at that time. Slovenia must know how to take advantage of this, attract them, show them what it has to offer, whether on a tourist platform, an economic or a political platform, and take advantage of the Olympics in this regard as well. Of course, the Olympics are primarily a sporting event, but as I said at the beginning, they've become much more than that, and it's good to take advantage of this.

Slovenia knows how to do that. The Slovenia House is a project of broader national importance. The Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport contributed €900,000 for the qualification of Slovenian athletes, and an additional million for the Slovenia House. We can see the state support for this project.

Absolutely. State support is crucial in this case because, if we think back to the Olympic Games in Paris, an excellent location was extremely important. It's the same in Cortina. But you need funds for an excellent location. The Olympic Committee of Slovenia didn't have these funds. With the support of the Government and the Ministry, we obtained these funds and we're in an excellent location. The Slovenia House is located in the very center of the town. The Olympic flame will be 100 meters away. The Italians are 300 meters away. This alone speaks to the excellent location, which is extremely important. If you have an excellent location, a lot of people see you, and there's of course potential, not only for bilateral meetings and economic meetings, but also for addressing a large number of our guests. With the I feel Slovenia brand, which we associate with the Slovenia House, I think we're making good use of it and are absolutely laying the foundations for how Slovenia should be presented at major sporting events.

You mentioned that everything is under the I feel Slovenia brand, following the practice from Vancouver, Pyongyang, and Paris. What are the advantages of Slovenia or the Slovenia House presenting itself under a single brand at one of the most important events for promoting the country?

This is particularly important because it means we have a single communication message for all the stakeholders we meet there. This is extremely important, it has been built up over many years of Olympic Games. It started in Vancouver. The International Olympic Committee has become a little stricter about this brand, unfortunately, because it considers it commercial. But we're still trying to showcase it as much as possible in the house, even with some restrictions on the exterior. And so it will be in Cortina, where many people will walk past our house and get to know Slovenia. When they enter the house, Slovenia will also be presented through the beautiful visuals of our nature, they'll be able to try Slovenian cuisine. Here, as in Paris, we've made an effort to ensure that they'll be able to try Slovenian dishes, prepared by the excellent Jezeršek chefs, they'll also be able to try Slovenian wine and beer, so we'll be presenting Slovenia at the Olympics in nearby Italy.

One of the important aspects of the Slovenia House is sustainability. How will this be reflected in the architectural aspect?

Sustainability is quite important and we're quite involved with it. We've decided that the interior of the Slovenia House, as well as its main exterior element, will be made of Slovenian wood. Our team is already working on this wood, and this will be a very important thing that we can, of course, bring home. The wood that was used at the Olympics in Paris was then used in other projects, and the same will be true here. We consider this part to be relatively important. The sustainability of the Olympics is always a bit questionable, but these are close to Slovenia, so they're relatively okay for us, as there will be no need for plane transport and other things. For the Slovenian national team this part will be a little easier. Sustainability is of course an important part not only of the Slovenia House, but of the Olympics in general, which face many challenges in terms of sustainability.

What kind of organizational challenge is the dispersion of locations?

To be honest, it's not the best solution. Everyone would like everything to be close to Cortina. Personally, I don't understand why the organizers have spread it out, as it's extremely challenging from a logistical point of view. Just looking at our excellent ski jumpers, they'll be jumping in Predazzo, which is two to three hours away from Cortina, and it'll be very difficult for them to get to the house, because we mustn't disturb the training process. We'll also prepare a celebration for them there, if this happens. The same applies to Bormio, where we have two excellent teams. In Bormio, the guys with Žan Kranjec and Miha Hrobat, and not far away in Livigno our excellent snowboarders, who delighted us with two medals in Beijing. If a medal is won in that part of Italy, we'll also make sure that we can applaud our athletes loudly.

So, you're well organized. Despite the center being in Cortina, there'll be no lack of atmosphere in the event of any medals.

This was a bit of a challenge. In Paris, it was much easier from this point of view. We have to adapt to the organizers of the Olympics, and that's how we've adapted now in nearby Italy. We'll see how things will be in the future, what the future of the Winter Olympics will be like.

How can the success of promoting the country be measured, through the Slovenia House or through other activities?

The success of a country is undoubtedly measured primarily by the number of events we organize, the number of guests, the number of random guests, the number of important guests. We were very proud in Paris because we had a large number of important guests. Here, I think it'll be relatively similar. We're fortunate that in the very center of Cortina, there'll be guests from the International Olympic Committee, who are very important in politics and sports policy, as well as very important individuals in the economy. As well as many important individuals from the International Ski Federation, a large number of partners of the International Olympic Committee and other partners of the Olympic Games. We also bring quite a few sponsors and very important businesspeople from Slovenia to Cortina, so that when we put it all together and analyze it after the Games, we can see how successful they were. This is much easier when the Games are close to us than when they are ... I remember South Korea or the Olympics in Beijing and Tokyo, where everything was far away. But even there, there are certain opportunities that we must all take advantage of.

This time, they are also more accessible to Slovenian fans. Next Summer Olympics will be far away in Los Angeles, so it's a great opportunity for them to cheer on Slovenian athletes.

An excellent opportunity. I would like to invite all Slovenian fans once again. We're fortunate that there are still quite a few tickets available for ski jumping, so please browse the official website. All purchases should be made on the official website, so that they don't fall into the trap of ticket resellers. This is really a great opportunity to see the Olympic Games up close. Maybe you'll go there with your family or friends, and cheer on our excellent athletes.

Finally, do you have any other useful advice? In addition to buying tickets on the official website, from a logistical point of view.

It's very important to plan your trip very carefully. We must be aware that certain transport routes will be closed. If you have a ticket, you'll be taken to a designated parking lot. You'll leave your car or other means of transport and then continue by official transport. Whether they are in Predazzo, Cortina, or going to the biathlon in Anterselva, they should take a good look at their route, so that their journey is as stress-free as possible and they can reach the destination as easily as possible. We must be aware that quite a few of these venues are located in valleys that are difficult to access, and because of this, they need to allow an extra hour or so for transport and logistics, unlike in Paris, for example, where the Metro practically solved all the problems.

Mr. Matic Švab, thank you for the interview. We hope for a successful Olympics, both in terms of the competitions and promoting our country at the Slovenia House.

Thank you for having me, we look forward to working with you.

Thank you. Thank you also to you, listeners, for being with us, and we're keeping our fingers crossed for our athletes. Follow us in future episodes of the GOVSI podcast on popular podcast apps or on our YouTube channel.