15.01.2016

Ljubno is a special place for me. Not just because I attended primary school in Ljubno, where different experiences and adventures made me jump for joy, but also because over the past few years this little town in the Upper Savinja Valley has become very big, co-creating the history of women's ski jumping together with Slovenian female ski jumpers.

I am especially glad to see that the BTC Company is co-writing the story of FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies in Ljubno ob Savinji for the fifth year in a row. It is also thrilling to see the event introduce something new almost every year. In 2014, the Slovenian public was overjoyed by the first World Cup victory of a Slovenian female ski jumper. The Ljubno World Cup event in 2015 was seen by a record-breaking number of TV-viewers, while 11,500 visitors cheered on the Devilish Slovenians in Ljubno. What excites me about the 2016 Ljubno event is that this little town with a big heart – Ljubno ob Savinji – and all the jumpers will get to admire and jump on a brand new ski jump. We are thankful to the mayor and the city council members for their courageous investment decision regarding the construction of the new ski jump.

The new ski jump and even more all the amazing achievements and results in Ljubno would not be possible without the people of Ljubno, who with their big hearts managed to put in enormous efforts to provide all the aspiring athletes with the possibility of successfully developing their potentials and thereby carrying the name of Ljubno all across the world and high in the sky.

At the weekend of Valentine's Day in February 2016, we will see Ljubno once again hosting the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies event. I am proud that the BTC Company is again part of the event, alongside all the athletes, the people of Ljubno, and all the ski jumping fans. I am certain that this year's Ljubno World Cup event will be especially beautiful and I am sure that our girls will bring huge smiles to our faces and make us all jump for joy with their successes.

Jože Mermal
President of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Ladies Ljubno 2016 Honorary Committee and President of the BTC d.d. Management Board