Mitja Urbanc novi generalni sekretar Pokala Vitranc

Mitja Urbanc has been appointed the new general secretary of the Vitranc Cup, a prestigious event in world alpine skiing. Urbanc took over the role following the retirement of long-time head organizer Srecko Medven, who had spent over 30 years ensuring the ski festival in Kranjska Gora became one of the most respected stops on the World Cup circuit. The traditional alpine skiing competition for the Vitranc Cup will undergo changes before the start of winter. With Medven stepping down, Urbanc, a member of the Slovenian Ski Association, assumed the responsibilities of the organizing committee's general secretary. "Vitranc Cup is a classic of world alpine skiing, which presents us with a significant responsibility, knowing that tradition alone is not enough," Urbanc said, thanking his predecessor for their work. Medven had ensured that the ski celebration in Kranjska Gora became one of the most valued stops on the World Cup calendar. Urbanc acknowledges he steps into large shoes: "We want to support the tradition with good organization, a modern approach, and a strong experience for our winter heroes, competitors, and visitors. Primarily, we need to ensure top conditions for the athletes, while also creating an event that spectators, partners, and the local community will recognize as a special experience. With ticket pre-sales starting on October 7th, we invite fans, without whom there is no real atmosphere at the Vitranc Cup." Kranjska Gora will host the Vitranc Cup next year outside its traditional March timeframe. The best alpine skiers in the world, including Slovenia’s giant slalom specialist Jan Kranjec, will compete on the challenging Podkoren course immediately after New Year, on January 2nd and 3rd. First, giant slalom racers, followed by slalom racers. The 66th edition of the Vitranc Cup will certainly be something special. Preparations for the competition officially began on Thursday with the first session of the organizing committee meeting. The day after the meeting, representatives from the International Ski Federation (FIS) visited the venue. FIS director of the men's World Cup, Markus Waldner, and FIS director of the women's World Cup, Peter Gerdol, joined the event leader Andrej Šporn to inspect the course and review all necessary elements of both competitions. "This inspection is an important step in preparations, as we can together with both directors of the World Cup on-site review all aspects of the sporting elements and align further tasks. Our goal is to ensure a well-prepared course and safe and as equal as possible conditions for female and male competitors. It is also important to cooperate with the television team, as the needs of the event and broadcast must be properly aligned," Šporn said. "The timing at the beginning of January is very favorable for television broadcasts. I believe the value of the race itself will increase," Waldner said, considering the men's race under the Vitranc as a classic of the World Cup. "This race has a lot of tradition, the course itself is incredible, demanding, difficult, and the competitors really enjoy it. As far as the organization goes, the organizers have a lot of knowledge and experience. I see that younger people have joined the organization, and I think this is positive and important," Waldner added. Gerdol, a Slovenian from nearby Trbiz, also has high praise for Kranjska Gora. "For the new season, we changed the timing of the event with the men's part of the ski caravan. For us, this is definitely fine. I am convinced the course will be even better prepared and solidified, although we already had excellent conditions at the beginning of January in the last two years," he said. The women's race under the Vitranc will follow the Maribor Golden Fox. "The course is very suitable for the women's race too. On the final slope, the skiers can show their best skiing. Technically and organizationally, we are very satisfied with the race in Kranjska Gora," Gerdol said. Women's races in giant slalom and slalom for the World Cup of alpine skiing will take place on January 29th and 30th.