Bloudek Award Winners 2012

Mina Markovič Bloudek Award and Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar Bloudek Plaque for 2012



At the already 48th awarding of Bloudek recognitions today, February 12, the most successful athletes and sports workers for their achievements in 2012 were awarded Bloudek recognitions, the highest state recognitions in the field of sports in the Republic of Slovenia. The highest state recognitions in the field of sports were received by as many as three of our representatives – sport climber Mina Markovič the Bloudek Award, golden pair, alpinists Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar the Bloudek Plaque.



Last year's and all previous successes of Slovenian sport climbers and alpinists have brought Slovenian sport climbing and alpinism to the public as not for a long time. The successes of the youth and senior national teams resonated in the mountaineering organization, broader sport climbing as well as general public, and also sports experts. At the 48th Awarding of Bloudek recognitions, sports experts awarded as many as three of our representatives with the highest state recognitions among all sports branches. The Bloudek Award for outstanding international achievement in sports was received by the world's most successful sport climber Mina Markovič, winner of the World Cup in difficulty climbing and combination twice in a row (2011 and 2012), recipient of the Bloudek Plaque in 2012, and in January 2013 she was proclaimed the most successful sport climber in Slovenia for the third time in a row.

The Bloudek Plaque for significant international achievement in sports was received by alpinists Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar, members of the Slovenian youth alpinistic national team, recipients of the award for the most successful Slovenian alpinists in 2012 and golden pair, who in 2012 received the highest alpinistic recognition in the world Golden Ice Axe for the exceptional first ascent route Dreamers of Golden Caves (in 2011) on the 6858 meters high K7 West in Pakistan. Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar undoubtedly belong among the greatest hopes of Slovenian, as well as world alpinism, which they confirmed also in 2012 with a new first ascent route Blue Racer in the west wall of Janak (7090 m).



Bloudek recognitions (award and plaque) are the highest recognitions of the Republic of Slovenia, which have been awarded since 1965 for work and achievements in the field of sports. The Committee for Awarding Bloudek Recognitions awards a maximum of three Bloudek Awards and ten Bloudek Plaques each year. Recipients of Bloudek recognitions can be individuals, sports teams or organizations.



Winners of Bloudek recognitions for 2012:



Bloudek Awards for 2012

• Biathlon mixed relay – for outstanding international achievement in sports

• Franjo Izlakar – for outstanding international achievement in sports

• Marjan Fabjan – for exceptional contribution to the development of Slovenian sports

• Mina Markovič – for outstanding international achievement in sports



Bloudek Plaques for 2012

• Iztok Durjava – for lifetime work in sports

• Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar – for significant international achievement in sports

• Filip Flisar – for significant international achievement in sports

• Anja Klinar – for significant international achievement in sports

• Jure Kufersin – for lifetime work in sports

• Matevž Lenarčič – for significant international achievement in sports

• Andreja Razlag – for significant contribution to the development of Slovenian sports

• Benjamin Savšek – for significant international achievement in sports

• Mirko Šeruga – for lifetime work in sports

• Sports Club Flip Piran – for significant contribution to the development of Slovenian sports

• Uroš Velepec – for significant contribution to the development of Slovenian sports

The Committee for Awarding Bloudek Recognitions 2011–2015 consists of Miroslav CERAR, chairman of the committee, and members Viktor GROŠELJ, Peter KAUZER, mag. Viktor KREVSEL, Ivan LUKAN, Petra MAJDIČ, dr. Rajko ŠUGMAN, Katarina VENTURINI and Rudi ZAVRL.



JUSTIFICATIONS of recognitions for Mina Markovič and for Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar



Mina Markovič (born November 23, 1987, Ptuj)

Bloudek Award for outstanding international achievement in sports

Proposer: Slovenian Mountaineering Association

Mina Markovič is currently the best climber in competitive climbing in the world, and with achievements in the past two seasons, she has written a very special chapter in Slovenian and world climbing. After winning the World Cup in the combination of two disciplines, lead and difficulty climbing, in the 2011 season, she was the first competitor in history to repeat this achievement in last year's season. In the 2012 season, she achieved four victories and five second places, and also won the overall ranking in difficulty climbing. Despite leading in the overall combination ranking before the last race of the season in Kranj, the victory was not yet decided. In front of the home audience, she once again showed exceptional form and concentration and crowned the excellent season with a victory and defended the title of overall winner in the combination. This proves the exceptional physical and mental preparedness of the athlete, who successfully completes her psychology studies alongside a demanding competitive rhythm.



Mina Markovič, statement:

"Already upon receiving the Bloudek Plaque last year, I felt great honor and attention, so this year I was quite surprised to be the recipient of the Bloudek Award. This is a very, very big recognition for the results so far. It seems super to me and at the same time a very big motivation for the future, because all these recognitions show me that effort and excellent successes are noticed by others, and through this aspect, this high recognition means a lot to me."

Mina, what do you think about the fact that alpinists Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar also received the Bloudek Plaque this year? "I think it's really super that they were chosen. All congratulations, excellent! I'm happy for such great recognition."

Recently, our Slovenian national team in sport climbing conducted preparations in Germany. "Yes, we returned from preparations in Stuttgart, which were extremely successful. With the team, we did quality training, we felt great with the hosts, the wall is excellent, and we were also very nicely received. For the future with the national team, we plan the next preparations abroad at the beginning of March, in between we will work at home. With the team, we train diligently, it really works very well, the atmosphere is super. If it continues like this, a good season is in sight," said Mina Markovič, the world's best sport climber, this year's Bloudek awardee.



Nejc Marčič (born July 2, 1985, Bled)

Luka Stražar (born October 5, 1988, Ljubljana)

Bloudek Plaque for significant international achievement in sports

Proposer: Slovenian Mountaineering Association

Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar have already proven themselves at the world level as top alpinists at their 26 or 23 years. This is a real rarity in this demanding and complex activity. Both are representatives of a new, promising generation of Slovenian alpinists, who drew attention to themselves with good ascents years ago and showed that despite youth, much can be achieved with perseverance and enthusiasm.

They are distinguished by dedication to alpinism and a high level of climbing especially in winter conditions, both in domestic and foreign mountains. With such an approach, they succeeded, although novices in the Himalayas, in an exceptional first ascent on the 6858 meters high K7 West in Pakistan. The achievement resonated greatly also at the world level, as they received the highest international alpinistic recognition, the golden ice axe, for it in 2012. Nejc Marčič and Luka Stražar undoubtedly belong among the greatest hopes of Slovenian, as well as world alpinism.

Nejc Marčič, statement:

"I am very happy about the award that Luka and I received. Of course, thoughts are directed towards climbing, not awards. Currently, due to conditions in the mountains, training is more on artificial walls, but I'm already looking forward to the conditions stabilizing so I can move away from plastic. I thought I would do more in rock this year, but probably one-two-three this year's expedition is here. And therefore, it will be necessary to work on fitness before that."



The Bloudek Award, the highest state award in the field of sports, for Slovenian climbing and alpinism have so far been received by: Miha Potočnik (1967), Joža Čop (1970), Aleš Kunaver (1974), VI. Yugoslav alpinistic Himalayan expedition for conquering Makalu (1975), Yugoslav alpinistic expedition - Everest 79 for conquering the highest peak in the world via a new route (1979), Franc Knez (1984), Expedition Cerro Torre for first alpinistic ascent in Patagonia (1985/86), Janez Krušic (1987), Tomo Česen (1989), Marko Prezelj and Andrej Štremfelj for achievements in alpinism/ new route on Kangchenjunga (1992), Tomaž Humar for the most resonant achievement of the year in world alpinism (1999), Davo Karničar for exceptional sports feat in the Himalayas/ ski descent from Everest (2000) and Martina Čufar (2001).



The Bloudek Plaque was received in 2012 by sport climbers Natalija Gros and Mina Markovič for significant international sports achievement in 2011.