Slovenia names its athletes of year

For the third year in a row, cycling champion Tadej Pogačar and sport climbing icon Janja Garnbret swept Slovenia's top sporting honours at a ceremony, underscoring their sustained dominance on the world stage.

Pogačar, who dominated the male category with 321 points from the 110 voting members of the Association of Sports Journalists, enjoyed his best season yet, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

Competing in the rainbow jersey of the World Champion, the cyclist was unstoppable, securing his fourth career Tour de France title. Despite battling a knee injury and challenging conditions earlier in the year, the 27-year-old arrived in Paris in the yellow jersey having won four stages.

His dominance extended well beyond France. He successfully defended his World Championship title in Rwanda with a remarkable solo breakaway of over 100 kilometres and added the European title to his collection. He concluded his season by winning the Tour of Lombardy for the fifth consecutive time, completing a sweep of major one-day classics.

Ski jumper Domen Prevc finished second. His season was highlighted by a team gold at the World Championships, an individual victory, and a new world record flight in Planica. NBA superstar Luka Dončić took third place, recognised for his inclusion in the EuroBasket All-Star Five and for finishing as the tournament's top scorer.

In the women's category, Garnbret reaffirmed her status as the greatest climber in the history of the sport, receiving 271 points. At just 26 years of age, Garnbret captured her ninth and tenth World Championship titles in bouldering and lead climbing. She also extended her record number of World Cup victories to 49.

Beyond competition, the jury praised her fundraising efforts, specifically a 24-hour climbing marathon that raised substantial funds for youth charities.

Garnbret finished ahead of ski jumper Nika Prevc, who secured the overall World Cup globe and a World Championship title, and pole vaulter Tina Šutej, who won silver at the World and European Indoor Championships and bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

For the first time, the association introduced a separate voting category for the best female team. In the tightest contest of the evening, the national volleyball team edged out the basketball squad by a single point, 48 to 47, to take the inaugural honour.

In the men's team category, football club NK Celje secured the award with 44 points. The club was recognised for a breakthrough season in which they became the first Slovenian side to reach the quarter-finals of a European competition, achieving the feat in the UEFA Conference League.

The men's ski jumping quartet, comprising Lovro Kos, Domen Prevc, Anže Lanišek, and Timi Zajc, was named the best team in individual sports after successfully defending their World Championship title.

In other categories, track and field athlete Leja Glojnarič was named the top athlete with a disability following her triple bronze success at the Deaflympics in Tokyo, while cyclist Jakob Omrzel, winner of the Giro Next Gen, received the award for the most promising young athlete.

Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA